Keeping the Faith
by SaffronAngel
Summary: Kim and Tommy are engaged. Will his adventures as the Black Ranger come between them?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Not Mine. But I wouldn't mind having them around. A girl can dream can't she???????

SUMMARY: This is the sequel to Safe in the Arms of Love. I already have a good chunk of this one in my head. Now let's just see if it comes out the way I've pictured it.

A/N: This one is a little bit fluffier than it's predecessor. There's a lot of the Tommy/Kim dynamic and a huge amount of the Jason/Kim friendship. Hang on 'cause here we go again.

**

* * *

May 1, 2002 Angel Grove**

"Tommy, man, you better move it! Kim's gonna kill us if we're late!" Jason yelled from the doorway to Tommy's apartment.

"Okay! Okay! I'm ready. I hope Kim's ready."

The two young men ran out the door and started their trip to Mariner Bay.

**

* * *

May 1, 2002 Mariner Bay**

"Trisha, have they gotten here yet?" Kim was getting worried. Tommy had said they'd be here for this and they hadn't shown up yet.

"Kathy said she just saw Jason's SUV pull in. They're here." Kim heaved a sigh of relief. Now, she was ready for what would probably be the biggest day of her life.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked his daughter. He wanted to wrap her in his arms put knew better than to force her into that position.

"I am now. Tommy and Jason just got here." Alex looked at his daughter. She looked radiant. She was dressed in a billowy pink skirt and a white spaghetti strap top with a jacket in just the same shade of pink as her skirt. Her hair was pulled up in a green and white bow with a few stray tendrils framing her face.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, making sure to move slow enough that she could back away if she wanted.

"Hey, beautiful, I thought we were supposed to be opening this place," Tommy said as he bounced into the room. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked up at him. "I was worried. You two are late."

Tommy gave her that look; the one that she could never resist. "I'm sorry, Kim. I wanted to make sure that I looked okay for this."

She stuck out her lower lip in a pout that made Tommy smile. "I was afraid that…."

Tommy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "No. No thoughts like that. Not today. Today is a happy day. We're here and we're fine. No bad thoughts today."

She buried her face against his chest and nodded. Taking a deep breath, Kimberly pushed herself back from the man she loved and straightened her clothes. "I think I'm ready to do this."

Tommy smiled at her as she stepped out of the building and up on to the platform that had been put up just for this. The crowd gathered outside went stone quiet.

"Today, we have come here to open a new chapter on gymnastics training for the West Coast. The Soaring Crane Gymnastics Center will be a beacon shining in the dark for those who wish to train at their own pace as well as for those who wish to train with a group. We have to remember that gymnastics is not only for those who participate, but those who simply enjoy watching it. Everyone is welcome here." Kimberly turned to the ribbon going across the door and, instead of cutting it, she did a back flip, catching the ribbon with her foot and tearing it.

The applause was almost deafening. Kim turned and smiled at the crowd. "Let the party begin!" she yelled with a smile on her face.

**

* * *

Later that night**

Tommy stood outside the new gymnastics training center with Kimberly. Jason was in the car waiting on him. It would be a long drive back but Tommy didn't care. He didn't want to leave Kimberly.

"You've got everything ready? You're certain your apartment is secure?" he asked, brushing the hair back from her face.

"I'm fine, handsome. And shouldn't you be going? You have to leave for college in the morning don't you?"

"I just don't want to leave you. I don't want to go to college without you."

"I will be right here waiting for you when you get done. Besides, if I went with you, you wouldn't get anything done and you know it as well as I do."

"Just promise me that you'll be careful. Okay?"

"I promise. Now go. I think Jason's about ready to come over here and knock you out so you can get some sleep." Kim giggled as Tommy pulled her in close for one last kiss and hug before running over to the SUV.

They left and Kim headed back to her apartment just across the green from the center.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Not Mine. But I wouldn't mind having them around. A girl can dream can't she???????

SUMMARY: This is the sequel to Safe in the Arms of Love. I already have a good chunk of this one in my head. Now let's just see if it comes out the way I've pictured it.

A/N: This one is a little bit fluffier than it's predecessor. There's a lot of the Tommy/Kim dynamic and a huge amount of the Jason/Kim friendship. Hang on 'cause here we go again.

**

* * *

February 14, 2004**

Kim was sitting in her office when Tommy called her.

"Hey, beautiful, how are things going?"

"Fantastic. How about for you?"

"Well, remember those Dino Gems I told you about?"

"Yeah. You had them in your basement, right?" He had told her a lot about what he suspected about the dino gems. They had really amazing energy readings and he was thinking that they might be connected to the Power that they had held so many years ago.

"Well, they're missing. I think I know who took them though. I had three students with me today for detention. I had to take them because the new principal told me to. She put me in charge of it because I'm the new teacher. She's strange, Kim. There's something about her that just strikes me wrong. Kind of like Principal Snyder on Buffy. Remember him? He hated kids but was a high school principal? Anyway, I had to go to the museum to set up a field trip. I told the kids to look around the woods and see if they could find something prehistoric. If they could, I'd cancel detention for the rest of the week."

"They found the stones."

"Yeah, they did. I checked the security cameras in the lair. They took them and it looks like the stones became active the minute they picked them up."

"So where were you when this was going on?"

"Running from a T-Rex."

"Be serious, Tommy."

"I am. When I decided to come back to the museum to set up the field trip the next day, I noticed that the T-Rex that was on display outside the main door was gone. I turned around to look and next thing I knew it was right behind me. I ran for the jeep and got it started. It chased the jeep as I drove down the road. Thankfully, it ran headfirst into the overpass I drove under. That's when I discovered that it was mechanical. I only know of one person that could create a mechanical creation that looked that real, Kim."

"Anton." He had told her all about the experiments he and his friend, Anton Mercer had conducted on that island so long ago. "I thought he died when the island exploded."

"So did I. I don't know what's going on but I intend to find out."

Her voice was small as she asked her next question. "Are you okay, tiger?"

That tiny voice broke his heart. He had scared her with his story. "I swear to you, Kim. The only way I could be more fine right now is if I was there with you telling you this story." He chuckled. "I will tell you this much; the line 'Must go faster' has a whole new meaning for me now."

She giggled. "That's better," he said. "I have to go for now, beautiful. I'll call you in a few days. Okay?"

"Okay. Just be careful, Tommy."

"I promise. And you know me, once I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep that promise."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He heard her yawn through the lines. "Get some sleep, beautiful."

"Okay." The two hung up and Kim locked up the center and headed across the green to her apartment. She trudged up the steps and unlocked the door.

The minute her head hit the pillow, she was asleep dreaming of the day she and Tommy would get married.

**

* * *

February 21, 2004**

Tommy sank into the chair beside his kitchen table. The light on his answering machine was blinking. He smiled. _'She just couldn't wait for me to call her. I can't wait till she finds out that I'm back on duty. And with a fourth color. She's going to tease me mercilessly.'_

He picked up the phone and dialed her number without even looking at the keypad. "Hey beautiful."

"Tommy!"

"Sorry I didn't call you last night. I was kind of tied up. Literally."

"What?!?" Tommy had to pull the phone from his ear as she shrieked at him.

"Easy, Kim. Mesogog captured me and tried to get me to free a dino gem."

"You didn't do it, did you?" She was scared.

"Well, I did. But not until after the kids rescued me. I used the stone it was in to deflect a ray of some kind that Elsa shot at us. It freed the stone and I ---- kind of turned invisible." He took a deep breath as he waited for that to sink in. "The kids thought I'd been blown up. But the gem had just turned me invisible."

"You're back." Her voice was soft and he wasn't sure he'd actually heard her say it.

"Yeah, I am." He sounded almost remorseful, as if he was sorry to be telling her this.

She forced herself to brighten. "Does this mean you used a witty line or two?"

"Yeah. I really did. When Elsa saw that I had freed the gem, she yelled, 'That gem belongs to my master!'"

"What did you say?" Tommy could hear the smile in her voice.

"There's two things you guys need to learn about dino gems. One, you can't choose them, they choose you."

"What did she say to that?"

"'What's the other?' And so I told her. 'They go real well with Dino Morphers.'"

Kim giggled. "Let me guess you also used the old 'Just like riding a bike' line."

"Later on, yeah." He was smiling. "Elsa even had the nerve to ask me if I was too old for this. I told her 'I may be old but I can still pull it off'."

Kim threw back her head laughing. "It's a good thing I live alone here. You really are good for my mood."

"Did you have a bad day?" He was instantly worried about her.

"Just long. Tell me more. I'll bet there was a battle."

"Of course. I was fighting this guy named Zeltrax and at one point he asked me, 'Is that all you've got, Black Ranger?'" Tommy chuckled. "I told him, 'Give me a break. It's been a while.'"

"Black. Zack's not going to be happy that you got his color this time. What's it going to be next, blue? Or maybe you'll try yellow or pink?" He knew that this was coming. She was teasing him already.

"Blue maybe. Definitely not pink. I could never pull that one off as well as you do. And yellow…. Probably not. Kira, Aisha, and Tanya would kill me. Not to mention, Trini would probably come back to haunt me for that one."

"Do you even own any black clothes?"

"A few. I had to go pick up some at the store. Mostly I'm just going with the black t-shirts. I can wear those with my khakis or my jeans."

"Tommy Oliver clothes shopping? Must be a sign of impending doom or something," she teased.

"Hey, I had to have the right color in my closet!" he protested laughing. "After all, I didn't have you here to do it for me."

"I know. How about I come see you this weekend?"

"I'd love that. I can show around Reefside and you can help me pick out a few more black clothes."

"Maybe we can find you a shirt that has all of your colors in it," she teased. "Just wait till I tell Jason about this."

"Kim, that's not right. Here I am, fighting again even though I'm not a teen by any stretch of the imagination and you're going to sic Rex on me?"

"Tommy, I have to tell Jase. He'd be really upset if he wasn't in on the teasing." She was using that voice again. He could never refuse her when she pled with him like that.

"Okay. Just don't tell everyone."

"I won't. Talk to you Friday when I get there." She giggled. "I love you, tiger."

"Love you too, beautiful. Get some sleep."

She hung up the phone knowing that she had at least one phone call to make the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Walmart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim and Tommy are staying in touch while Kim's running her center in Mariner Bay with Tommy living in Reefside where he's working with the Dino Thunder Rangers.

A/N: This chapter is primarily fluff. I felt the need to write it after some of the other stuff that I've written recently.

**

* * *

February 27, 2004**

Kim woke up in a fantastic mood. She was going to go see Tommy. She was leaving that afternoon so Kristy was going to take her classes for the day.

Her bags sat by the door, packed and ready to go. She looked longingly at them as she headed out the door for morning classes. She had been waiting for this day for almost a full week. She was going to spend the morning just counting minutes until she could leave and she knew it.

"Kim? Earth to Kim, Earth to Kim. You want to come back here for a minute?" Kristy was getting frustrated. Kim hadn't been totally with it all day.

Kim snapped her head around and looked at her assistant. "What's up, Kristy?"

"The girls want to see your routine to 'Obsession'. And considering your current state of mind, I'd say that's a good choice." The young woman giggled as Kim's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Okay. I'll do it." She walked over to the music director and asked him to cue up the song on her CD. She shed her jacket and sweatpants before stepping on to the mats for the requested floor routine.

She stretched for the third time that morning and took her position on the mat for the opening run. The music started and Kim lost herself in the routine.

The girls were amazed as they watched the former Pan-Global medalist run through a routine as if she did that particular routine every single day. She was flawless. None of them noticed the older man who had walked into the center while Kim was performing.

Everyone was watching as Kim made her last tumbling run which was a double for this routine. When she hit the final pose for the routine, cheers and applause rang through the center and several of the girls ran up to Kimberly asking if she thought they could ever be that good.

She saw the man then. He walked up to her and held out a hand. "Hello, Kimberly. You've gotten better since you left Florida."

"Hello, Coach Schmidt. It's good to see you again." She shook his hand.

"You have put some of that weight again. It's good to see. You were getting much too thin while you were with me in Florida. And I see the sparkle is back in your eyes and the spring back in your step. Life in California is good for you."

"Actually, Tommy is good for me. He took care of me for a while and he's teaching in Reefside right now. We talk on the phone almost every night."

"Have you heard anything from Craig? I understand he was seen in Angel Grove not long after you left for the funeral."

"Craig died in an earthquake. He had kidnapped me again but Tommy followed him. When the earthquake hit the building we were in started falling apart and he got hit in the head. It killed him instantly. I spent days in the hospital after that. I'm fine now though."

"That is good. I wanted to ask you if you could help me out. The next Pan-Global Games are coming up soon and I was wondering if you had any students that might be ready to try out for the team. Or if you could at least keep an eye out for some that would be suitable for the games."

"Actually, Coach, I have several girls who are nearly ready for the games now. I have four who could begin training for the team right now and probably six that could be ready in no time. Kristy, you know which ones are ready now and which ones would be ready soon. Why don't you go grab the files and I'll talk to the coach for a few minutes?"

Kristy ran off, more than happy to get the files Kim wanted. After all, one of her little sisters was one of the four that Kim thought was ready to start training for the team now. Another sister was on the list of the six that could be ready soon.

When she came back out, she noticed that the girls had gathered around the balance beam where Kim was working out. They were all watching her move across the beam as if she were flat on the floor with no fear of falling.

Gunther Schmidt turned to the young woman with the files in hand and smiled. "Kristy, yes? Thank you for bringing these out. Does Kimberly practice every day?"

"Yes. Sometimes late into the night. She lives right here in the compound so she doesn't have far to go when she heads home. And she never leaves here without certain precautions being made. There are lots of lights along her usual path home and four phones set up along the path in case she needs to call someone. And she always carries change for the calls."

"Good. After what happened in Florida, I'm glad she takes such precautions. I would hate to see that happen to her again."

"I know all about that, Coach Schmidt. I worry about her when she stays late. So she calls me every time when she gets home safely. She usually just leaves a message on my machine but occasionally she gets me because I have a hard time sleeping when I know that she's not home yet."

"You are a good friend to her."

"Not to mention that she reports to Tommy if she thinks I'm doing anything foolish," Kim said coming over to the two as they spoke on the outer edges of the crowd. Kristy blushed and dipped her head. "It's okay, Kristy. I'm sure it's a good thing that someone here is watching out for me. I do tend to get wrapped up in things and lose track of what's going on around me."

"You mean like forgetting about counting minutes until you go to see Tommy today?" Trisha laughed walking over. Kim looked up at the clock.

"Oh Man! It's time! Coach, I have to leave but Trisha and Kristy can go over the files with you. They know the girls almost as well as I do. They'll be honest with you."

Gunther Schmidt laughed as Kimberly threw on her jacket and sweatpants, grabbed her towel and ran out the door.

Catching a quick shower was a necessity because of the workout she'd been doing at the center. She sped through the house after her shower, grabbing her bags on the way out the door.

Once on the highway, Kim took a deep breath and settled in for the hour and a half drive to Reefside.

**

* * *

Reefside High School**

Tommy Oliver sat in his classroom finishing up his notes for Monday morning. He was also grading a few papers that had come in late. Of course, he kept looking up at the clock. He knew that Kim would be there today and he couldn't wait to see her. She had been his saving grace today when what he really wanted to do was kill Connor.

The young man had walked into class late and then had told his science teacher that he had to leave class early for soccer practice. After class, Ethan had told him that Connor was just trying to see how much he could get away with now that Tommy was a Ranger again himself. He discovered that Connor thought that he wouldn't get into trouble with Tommy for anything because of the simple fact that Dr. O was one of them and he couldn't fault them for not making it on time to class.

What Connor didn't realize is that Dr. O may be a Ranger but he was also a teacher and, in order to keep their secret, he couldn't show favoritism to the team over anyone else. After all, one of the rules of being a Ranger was that you had to keep your identity a secret. How could anyone do that if the team was being treated differently from anyone else?

He remembered how many times his originally team, the Zeo team and later the Turbo team had run out on drinks or food at Ernie's. He remembered that Ernie had always been patient with them. He had accepted their payment after the fact and never once pushed the issue. None of them had thought about it at the time but Ernie had known about the Rangers and knew who they were. He had let them slide more times than he cared to count and never once did anyone guess that they hadn't paid for at least half of the drinks and food they consumed there.

He smiled. He couldn't wait to see his Beautiful. She always made things better, just by being there. Her presence could calm anyone he'd ever known.

Of course, Hayley knew that she was coming and had insisted that he bring her by at least once over the weekend to meet her. He had given in, on the promise that she wouldn't tell his current team about Kim coming in. Hayley agreed and promised to give him the Cyber-Café for one night for a private dinner for two.

Minutes passed slowly as he waited for the end of the day and seeing his love again. _'Man, can that clock move any slower?'_


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Wal-mart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim and Tommy are staying in touch while Kim's running her center in Mariner Bay with Tommy living in Reefside where he's working with the Dino Thunder Rangers.

A/N: This chapter is primarily fluff. I felt the need to write it after some of the other stuff that I've written recently.

* * *

There it was: 1992 Valencia Drive. Tommy's house was right in front of her. She knew he wasn't home yet but he had left the door unlocked just for her. She walked up to the door with her bag in hand. Her heart was racing.

He would be home in about an hour, barring any monster attacks. She set her things in the guest room for now and made herself comfortable in the living room.

Flipping on the television, she started channel surfing. She felt her eyes start drifting closed. In minutes, the petite young woman was sound asleep on the couch.

* * *

Tommy was on his way out of the building for the day when his team caught up with him.

"Dr. O!" Kira shouted, running up to him. Lowering her voice, she continued, "Do we have practice today or what?"

"Yes. Head over to the lair in about an hour. Give me a chance to get home and take care of a few things first. Okay?" He smiled down at his Yellow Ranger. In some ways, she was so much like Kimberly and, in others, so much like Trini.

His smile faded a bit as he thought of his friend. She had always been there for him when he needed a calm head to help him figure things out. It wasn't right that she had died in that damn car wreck. "You okay, Dr. O?" Ethan asked.

He turned to the teen. "I'm fine, Ethan. Just thinking about an old friend of mine. Like I said, just come over in about an hour. We'll practice then." He jumped into his jeep and drove off, spirits lifting as he thought about the woman waiting at his house for him.

* * *

Tommy just stood there smiling at the picture Kimberly made stretched out on his couch, sound asleep. He grabbed the camera that sat on a bookcase near the kitchen and snapped a picture. _'I'll put this one with one of her with the tiger in my apartment. She'd kill me if she knew about these pictures.'_

He draped a light blanket over her and headed downstairs to the lair, figuring that the team would come in that way.

* * *

An hour later, Tommy was working on the computers in the lair, trying to find any other traces of Dino Gem energy, when he heard a scream from upstairs and a sound that suspiciously sounded like his end table breaking. He ran for the stairs and all but flew up them.

When he emerged from the lair, he found Connor laying flat on his back amid the wreckage of the coffee table which had moments earlier been next to the couch. Kim was standing over him and looked about ready to kick the soccer player's head into the next time zone.

"Kim!" he shouted, just before she could let her foot fly. "Don't! He's one of my team."

"Tommy!" She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and he felt her whole body shake as she sobbed against him.

"Connor, go downstairs. Ethan, Kira, go with him. Make sure he's alright. I'll be down shortly." He guided Kim to the couch and sat down with her. He was stroking her back and the team just watched for a moment as they saw a whole new side to their mentor.

When Tommy looked up and saw them still standing there, he glared at them. "I said go. Don't make me say it again."

The three teens scrambled for the secret door and practically threw themselves down the stairs. "I told you not to mess with her, Connor," Ethan said as they left the room.

"Kim, are you okay?" Tommy asked, cradling her close. "Tell me the truth."

"I was startled. I opened my eyes to find this face right up close to mine and I just freaked. I – I "

"It's okay. You're safe. I'm right here. I should have told them to come around the other way. They're just so used to coming in that way. I forgot. I'm sorry." He held her close and realized that she'd had a flashback when she'd seen Connor's face that close to her.

"I broke your table. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. I can replace that. It's okay." He chuckled.

"What?"

"I just wish I'd thought to grab the camera to catch the look on Connor's face when you had him down like that. I could have used that to blackmail him for months." Tommy started laughing and Kimberly smiled too.

He saw the smile and kissed her forehead. "That's my girl. Now, are you ready to come downstairs and meet the team?"

"I guess. Do you think Connor would forgive me?"

"I think he's going to be a little nervous around you for a while. After all, you're only about half his size and you kicked his butt. Kira's going to tease him about this for weeks if not months." He looked down at her again. "He'll forgive you. Unless he wants to clean all the zords by himself."

"Tommy, that's just mean. I mean how many zords do you have right now?"

"Well, let's see. Bracchio, Tricera, Ptera, Tyranno, Cephala. Five for now. I guess that would keep him busy for a while."

"Try until he's thirty at least. I'll apologize. I just hope he won't hold it against me."

"He won't. I know him well enough to say that much." The two of them stood up and Tommy led his love down the secret stairs to meet the Dino Thunder Rangers.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Wal-mart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim and Tommy are staying in touch while Kim's running her center in Mariner Bay with Tommy living in Reefside where he's working with the Dino Thunder Rangers.

A/N: This chapter is primarily fluff. I felt the need to write it after some of the other stuff that I've written recently.

**

* * *

February 27, 2004**

Kim walked down the stairs behind Tommy. She was a little nervous about meeting his new team, especially after kicking Connor's butt the way she did. Of course, when she woke up to find a stranger's face not six inches from her own, she just reacted and Tommy understood that. But could Connor forgive her for what she did?

"Don't worry so much, beautiful. He shouldn't have gotten in your face like that. He just doesn't always think before he acts."

"How do you do that?" she asked smiling a little.

"What? Read your expression without even looking at you? It's in everything about you. You are open book when it comes to your feelings." He stopped and turned around. The fact that he was on the step below her put them on slightly more even footing. "Especially to me. After all, we've known each other for what almost ten years now. There isn't much you can hide from me anymore." He smiled and reached out to brush the hair from her face.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for everything." She put her head on his shoulder for a moment and then took a deep breath. "I guess we should get this over with."

"Don't worry. They'll love you once they get to know you. I think Kira probably already does. She's always saying that she'd love to be there one day when some girl knocks him for a loop." He chuckled. "I guess she got her wish."

"I still feel bad. I mean, all he did…"

"Was get too close to you."

"He didn't know about Craig or Mason, Tommy. How could he know that I would react that way?"

"It doesn't matter. It was rude to get in your face like that." Tommy stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at his team.

"Hey, Dr. O, who's the pretty woman?" Connor spouted off when he saw his mentor walking into the main area of the lab.

Kim blushed and ducked her head. "Don't mind him. He has absolutely no manners," Kira said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"What? It was a compliment."

"Connor, Kira, Ethan, I'd like for you to meet Kimberly Hart. She's the first Pink Ranger."

Kira's eyes flew open wide as she realized that she was face to face with the original Pterodactyl. "It's an honor to meet you," she managed after swallowing hard.

Kim looked up at Tommy. "What kind of a pedestal have you put me on to these kids?" she giggled.

"You and Kira have a lot in common. Especially in the field of music. She's my Yellow Pterodactyl. Her special ability is called the Ptera Scream."

"It's pretty impressive," Connor said, stepping forward to extend a hand, albeit a little nervous. "I'm Connor, the Red Tyranno Ranger. I have Super Speed."

Kim shook Connor's hand and smiled at him. "Sorry for knocking you flat. There's a story behind that but it's for another time. Maybe." She turned to Ethan. "You must be Ethan, the Blue Tricera Ranger. What did you get for special abilities?"

"Super Strength." Ethan took the hand she offered and was amazed by the strength he felt there. She was so tiny to be so strong.

"A lot of people underestimate me," Kim smiled, accurately reading the shock on Ethan's face. She stepped back. "Don't let me interrupt the training session for today."

"I think Connor's had enough of getting beaten for one day," Kira quipped. Connor turned to Kira with a hurt look on his face.

"Okay, guys. Let's get to it. Beautiful, would you like to spar with me?" Kim nodded and they stepped to the mat to warm up. "Okay, let's see just how rusty you've gotten lately, Kim." Tommy was smiling as he said it.

"You really want to test this?" He nodded as they circled each other. "Bring it on, Bird Boy."

"Them there's fighting words, little girl," the Black Ranger smirked as he lunged at the petite brunette in front of him.

Kira, Connor and Ethan stood there watching their teacher and his girlfriend spar full out for almost twenty minutes before Kim had Tommy pinned on the floor.

"I give. I give." The teens laughed as Tommy sprang up from the floor. "You've been practicing."

"Rex comes down and works with me at least three times a week and it's usually at least a three hour workout."

"Three hours? Even Dr. O doesn't work us that much!" Connor said.

"There's a reason he works me that hard. Tommy knows it and I don't mind. It helps to keep me sharp." Kim laughed. "Besides, he figures that, if he's going to drive that far to help me workout, he's going to make it worth his while."

Hayley walked in at that moment. "Hey guys. Tommy, how's it going?"

"Hi, Hayley. I want you to meet Kimberly Hart."

"Pan-Global gymnast, one-time Olympic hopeful and original Pink Ranger. Also one hell of a singer from what one Jason Scott tells me." Hayley smiled as she shook Kim's hand.

"How are you, Hayley?" She looked over at Tommy. "You forget, Tommy, you introduced me to Hayley while you two were in college. Nice to see some things don't change."

Hayley and Kim laughed as Tommy blushed.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Wal-mart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim's in Reefside visiting with Tommy for a weekend. She's met the team and kicked Connor's butt as well as showing Tommy up in sparring. Can anything come between them this time?

A/N: I'm trying to update as frequently as I can but JD seems to have taken an extended vacation. Please bear with me.

**

* * *

February 28, 2004**

Kim woke up to total silence in the house. Was Tommy still asleep? She stole quietly from her own room to his only to find him gone. Where was he?

Slipping down the stairs, she looked all over the house for him. He was nowhere to be found. Had there been a monster attack? Is that why he wasn't here? Was he off fighting some terrible monster?

She looked out the back door but he wasn't there either. Why hadn't he left a note or something?

Hearing a noise at the front door, Kim slipped up the stairs without being seen. She went to her room and closed the door, hoping that whoever was there would just go away without looking in here.

* * *

Tommy looked around the downstairs as he crept into the house. _'Good. Looks like I got back before she got up. Good thing that Hayley goes into the Cyber Cafe so early.'_

Tommy had set up things with the Café owner to pick up a picnic lunch for himself and Kimberly at about eleven that morning. They would have a quiet dinner together in the closed Café around seven that night.

Tommy not only spent time at the Café setting everything up, he made a trip to the jeweler's to pick up the necklace he had specially ordered for Kim and a diamond ring to give her tonight. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he proposed to her after dinner.

He had left both pieces in the jeep, locked in a special box he had installed under the front driver's side seat. He planned on giving her the necklace at lunch. He closed his eyes and pictured the beautiful pendant that he was giving her.

The necklace had a crane and a falcon set in a shape similar to the classic yin and yang. In the middle was a pink gem that Kim would hopefully never know was a Dino gem. He wanted her to have it; he just hoped that she'd never have to use it.

* * *

Kimberly waited in her room until she started smelling something cooking before coming back downstairs. She was amazed to see Tommy standing at the stove, making breakfast.

He turned his head as he heard her come into the kitchen. "Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. I woke up a little while ago and you weren't here."

"I'm sorry. I had a couple of quick errands to run. I figured I'd get them done before you woke up and then we could have the rest of the day together, just the two of us."

He turned around fully from the stove to see Kim in a bright pink sundress with spaghetti straps. Her strappy pink sandals drew attention to the lithe, graceful legs that they were wrapped around.

"You look fantastic. Absolutely gorgeous. Are you ready for a little breakfast before we start out the day?"

When she nodded, Tommy served her up some scrambled eggs and toast. She sat down and ate. "So what are we doing today? Don't you have to train the kids today?"

"Nope. They're on their own today. I gave them specific orders that they were not to call me unless they were in a situation where they couldn't handle things."

"Well, shall we start off with revamping your wardrobe?" Tommy chuckled.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get me to take you to the mall. I guess we should get that done first. That way, I can get you all to myself all afternoon."

"Okay."

* * *

Later that day, Kim and Tommy had picked up their picnic lunch from Hayley and headed to the park. Tommy had found the perfect place for this picnic. It was near a lake that looked a lot like the place back in Angel Grove where Tommy had asked Kim for a date the first time.

Hayley had made them some fried chicken and potato salad to go with the ice cold lemonade that she had made for them. Unfortunately, the weather decided not to stay so nice.

Clouds moved in and, before they could get lunch packed up, rain started pouring down from the sky, soaking both of them to the skin in moments. They laughed as they ran, hand in hand for the jeep. Thankfully, Tommy had decided to leave the roof on because he had checked the forecast and realized that there was a slight chance for rain.

"Good thing you decided not to take the top off," Kim laughed as they settled into the jeep.

"I guess. I'm just sorry that we had to cut the picnic short. I did have something I wanted to give you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box that he had placed there just after they had arrived at the park. "I had this made especially for you."

Kimberly just stared at the box for a moment before reaching out to take it out of his hands. She looked into his eyes for almost a full minute before opening the box.

"Ooooohhhh, Tommy, it's gorgeous!" she whispered. She delicately lifted the pendant from the box and fastened it around her neck. "I love it!"

"I'm glad. It took me a while to get the design just right before I went in to order it. Then, I had to find a jeweler that would make it for me."

The minute the pendant touched Kim's skin, the Dino gem glowed for a moment as it began bonding to the young woman who had always been bonded to Tommy's heart.


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Wal-mart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim's in Reefside visiting with Tommy for a weekend. She's met the team and kicked Connor's butt as well as showing Tommy up in sparring. Can anything come between them this time?

A/N: I'm trying to update as frequently as I can but JD seems to have taken an extended vacation. Please bear with me.

**

* * *

February 28, 2004**

Running through the rain into the café, Kim and Tommy were laughing again as they returned the basket to Hayley.

"I take it the rain kind of canceled out the picnic?" Hayley asked, smiling at the sight of Tommy so happy.

"Kind of. We'll be back for dinner though." Tommy took Kim's hand in his and Hayley noticed the necklace around her neck.

"Ok. I've got something special planned for later. Why don't you two go home? You might want to put on some dry clothes."

Kim giggled. "Tommy didn't tell me that it might rain today. At least, he had the top up on the jeep so we didn't continue to get soaked on the way here." She looked up at the man beside her with so much love in her eyes that Hayley just shook her head.

"You two are hopeless. You know that, right?"

Both of them laughed before turning to leave the café.

* * *

Back at Tommy's house, the two entered the house laughing and even more soaked than they had been before. Tommy turned to Kim and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I had fun today. Even if the weather didn't cooperate," he whispered.

"So did I. I love the necklace, Tommy. It's a Dino gem isn't it?"

"It is. And it's obvious it's bonding to you. I wanted you to have it. I just hope you never have to use it."

"I won't. Not when I have you in my life. Craig's gone and can't hurt me anymore. You and Rex won't let anyone or anything else hurt me if it can be helped."

"Just don't you forget it." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. She nestled her head against his chest and was just content to stand there forever. "Kim, you're shivering." Tommy pulled back to see a slight blue tint to her lips. "You're freezing, sweetheart. Come on. Warm shower and dry clothes. Then under some covers to finish warming up."

"You too. Okay?" Tommy just nodded as he walked her up the stairs and steered her into the bathroom. Once he heard the water running for the shower, he went back downstairs to start the coffeepot with straight hot water for hot chocolate. He ran upstairs and took his own warm shower, slipping into his sweatpants and a t-shirt after. By the time Kimberly finished up with her shower, Tommy was waiting for her just outside her room.

They sat down in front of the television to watch a movie since they still had a few hours before dinner at the café. Tommy made up the hot chocolate while Kim picked the movie. When Tommy sat down on the couch, Kim snuggled up tight to his side with her head on his chest. He pulled a blanket that his brother, David, had given him a couple of years earlier up around them and settled in to watch the movie that Kim had chosen.

"I can't believe you picked this," Tommy groused as the opening scenes of 'Jurassic Park' started playing. Kimberly just giggled and nestled closer. "It's a good thing I love you so much." He kissed her on the top of the head and wrapped his arm tighter around her.

* * *

They pulled up in front of the café to find the closed sign up and the outside lights off. "Tommy, she's closed."

"She closed early for us, beautiful. This all just for us." He took her hand and led her up to the door.

Hayley was waiting for them. "On time. I'm impressed." She laughed when Tommy blushed. She took them over to a table that was sufficiently hidden from the front window that no one would know they were there unless they really looked. "I made you guys spaghetti and meatballs." She turned toward one of the computers and started up the music that she had cued up on a playlist.

In no time at all, the couple was quietly eating while enjoying the music that Hayley had chosen for them.

When they had finished with the spaghetti and the strawberry cheesecake that Hayley had provided for desert, Tommy stood and held out a hand to Kim. "Dance with me, beautiful?"

"Anytime, handsome." As they danced to the song 'Because You Loved Me', Kim thought that this night just couldn't get any better.

And that may have been true had Tommy not gone to one knee at the end of the song and held up a small black box that opened to reveal a small diamond ring that sparkled and glittered in the soft light of the café. "Kim, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

"Oh Tommy!" Kim couldn't say anything more because of the tears running down her face. She settled for nodding as he slid the ring onto her finger. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her pulling her in tight.


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. If they were do you really think I'd be working at Wal-mart in Kansas?

SUMMARY: Kim's in Reefside visiting with Tommy for a weekend. She's met the team and kicked Connor's butt as well as showing Tommy up in sparring. Can anything come between them this time?

A/N: I'm trying to update as frequently as I can but JD seems to have taken an extended vacation. Please bear with me.

**

* * *

February 29, 2004**

Kim was sitting on the couch Sunday morning before leaving to head back to Mariner Bay. Tommy was sitting next to her and they were relaxing. "I wish I didn't have to leave."

"I wish you could stay too, beautiful. But we have to make all the arrangements for the wedding and then we have to figure out where we're going to live. I have a job here and you have your center there. How are we going to do this? I mean could you move your center here?"

"I think I could. It would take some effort but I think I could move it here if you wanted to stay here."

"Kim, I don't care where we live as long as we're together. But I do have the team here and I'm a part of that team. It's kind of scary sometimes; being back in uniform after all this time. Hayley's been such a help to me. I mean, without her, we wouldn't have the morphers or the bikes. And we definitely would have never figured out the zords. She still helps me keep track of the Dino gems and where they are."

"I can understand it being really scary for you. How do you think I feel when I know that you may not be able to call me when you say you will because you might be off fighting some monster and I can't help you?"

He pulled her tighter to him. "Kim, please don't say things like that. I'm almost glad that you're not in uniform with me. I'm glad that you're safe in Mariner Bay and that I can turn to you when I need someone to talk to who's not on the team. You understand what I'm going through and I know that you'll always be there to talk to."

"I still wish I was here to help you. Even if not in uniform. I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you." Kim felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She had vowed she wouldn't make him feel guilty like this but she couldn't help her fear. She really wanted to stay where she could help him, no matter what.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I promise if anything happens to me, I'll have Hayley call you. Okay?"

"Tommy, I just want to stay with you. I feel empty when I'm up there in my apartment by myself. I curl up on my bed with the tiger you sent me when I first went to Florida. Some nights I cry myself to sleep because you're not there." She wasn't trying to make him feel guilty but she wanted him to know just how much she loved being there with him.

"Kim, honey, you know that I'd keep you here if I could. But right now that would just put you in danger and that would kill me. I don't think I'd survive if anything happened to you." Tommy was frustrated that she was about to cry and he couldn't just tell her to stay. "I promise you that I'll call every other night. That's a promise I intend to keep. Besides, you have the ring. You know that I won't let you go again."

Kim stood up and walked to the window. "I just wish I knew why I feel this way. I know I'm not jealous of Hayley. I just don't understand why I'm so whiny right now."

Suddenly, the crystal around her neck glowed and Kim froze for a moment. Tommy jumped up and ran around the couch to where she was standing. He was almost afraid to touch her but he wanted to make sure that she was okay.

"Kim? Kimberly? Beautiful?" He was trying to get her attention but he was getting worried because he couldn't seem to snap her out of it. "Kimberly!"

The glow in the crystal died abruptly and Kim staggered a bit as she came back to herself. Tommy caught her and she wrapped an arm around his neck. "Tommy?"

"I'm right here, beautiful. I've got you."

"Be careful. Please promise me that you'll be careful." The tears in her voice hurt him. What had she seen that made her say that?

"What did you see?"

"Just promise me. Please. It's important."

"I promise." He gathered her in close to him and kissed the top of her head. "I promise that I'll be careful. I swear it." Holding her close for a moment, he just relished holding her. "Please tell me what you saw."

"You in a coma. I saw you lying in a hospital bed in a coma. I saw you fighting yourself. Do you really promise to be careful?"

"Of course, beautiful. I have to be now. I promised, remember? Do I ever not keep a promise if I can help it?"

"No. But it scared me. I can't lose you again." She lay her head against his chest and just rested for a moment before she had to get up to get ready to leave.


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. The characters you know belong to Saban and Disney.

SUMMARY: Kim's just returned from Reefside and her visit with Tommy. She has two new pieces of jewelry to remind her of how much she loves Tommy and how much he loves her.

A/N: I know. It's been a while since I updated this one. Sorry. JD's been kind of insistent on me working with Shattered and Nerves of Steel. He's even hit me with two more ideas and I've made a few notes on them but I promise I won't write them until I've finished at least two more stories.

**

* * *

**

Kimberly woke to her quiet apartment. She looked around and heaved a sigh. She was home.

It wasn't that she didn't love having her own gymnastics training center; she just wanted to be in Reefside with Tommy. She was so scared that there would be another incident like the island.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Tommy was supposed to be on the island with Anton Mercer when she saw the news. _

"_Yes. That's right, Tracy. The island where Anton Mercer's breakthrough genetics lab was located has exploded. No one has been able to get close enough to the site to determine if anyone made it off the island alive. But we are hoping to hear something soon."_

_Tears were streaking down Kimberly's face as she sat in front of the television just waiting to hear something. She would have preferred a phone call from Tommy telling her that he was fine and on his way to see her._

_The knock at her door startled her. She jumped up and ran to it, hoping against hope that Tommy would be on the other side. _

_Looking through the peephole, she sighed. It was Jason. She unlocked and opened the door._

_He walked in and followed her into the living room where he saw what she was watching._

"_Are you okay, Kim?"_

_She sniffled and shook her head. "I won't be okay until I know he's safe. Jase, I know he's not dead but I need to see him, touch him, hear his voice." She broke down, sobbing at that point._

_Jason sat down on the couch next to her and pulled her into his strong embrace. "He's going to be fine. I just know that as soon as he gets a chance, he'll call you. You'll see."_

_Hours later, the reporter on the screen was listening to her earpiece. "They've found someone. They've found someone alive. The young man was found floating in the ocean, holding on to a piece of wood. He's been pulled on to one of the boats. The Coast Guard says he seems to be delirious but that he's asking for a cell phone."_

_Just moments after the announcement, Kim's phone rang. She snatched up the phone and whispered, "Hello?"_

"_Kim?" It was his voice. She breathed a sigh of relief. _

"_I was so worried. Are you okay?"_

"_I am now. Are you? Is anyone with you?"_

"_Jason came up to sit with me. I knew you weren't dead. I knew it but I needed to hear your voice."_

"_I can't talk long, beautiful. They need to check me over. I promise, I'll come see you as soon as they clear me. Let me talk to Jase for a moment."_

_Kim handed the phone to Jason and walked into the kitchen where she collapsed into one of the chairs at the table and buried her head in her hands, sobbing in relief. When Jason hung up the phone, he came into the kitchen and stood next to her for a few moments before she stood up and turned into his embrace. _

"_He asked me to stay until he got here. He said that it shouldn't be more than a few hours. I told him I'd stay."_

"_Jason, I don't know if I can do this. I want to go to him. I don't want to wait here for him. I want to go to him now."_

"_Firebird, listen to me. You and I both know how Tommy is. He made the decision to do this to make a good life for the two of you." He squeezed her a little tighter. "I know that this whole thing is hard for you. It's hard for me to watch the two of you go through this. I'm sure it's hard for Trini to watch from wherever she is now and she probably knows exactly how things are going to turn out. Believe me, Firebird, if I could spare the two of you the hardships that are sure to come along, I would do it in a heartbeat. I can't though. I can just be here to be a strong pair of shoulders for you to lean on."_

"_You do that well enough, Rex. You've always been my shoulder to lean on."_

_After another six hours of waiting, Tommy was at the door and being smothered by a petite brunette who didn't even let him get all the way into the apartment before wrapping herself around him._

_Jason slipped out after making sure that both of them were okay. Tommy spent that night on a bed next to Kimberly, holding the young woman who held his heart in her two delicate hands._

_**FLASHBACK ENDS**_

"I guess I'd better get ready for work. This place won't run itself forever." Kim stumbled into the kitchen to start the coffee before heading into the bathroom for a shower.

She hadn't taken the pendant off since Tommy had placed it around her neck two days ago and she didn't plan on ever taking it off. She smiled as she remembered the look on his face as he fastened it around her neck in the pouring rain.

**

* * *

**

Climbing out of his shower, Tommy ran his fingers through his hair. _'I wonder how she slept last night. I know I didn't sleep very well.'_

As he poured himself a cup of coffee, he made himself a promise that he'd call her that night and make sure that she was okay.

**

* * *

**

Stepping out her front door, Kim didn't notice the man standing just down the path, leaning on one of the trees.

As she walked by, she heard a voice that sent a chill through her whole body. "Well, well, well. If it isn't little Miss Pan-Global."


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: Kim's back in Mariner Bay and Tommy's alone in Reefside. But apparently someone is in Mariner Bay looking for Kim.

A/N: Sorry about the date confusion in the last chapter. The date should have been March 1, 2004.

**

* * *

**

Kim stopped dead in her tracks. She knew that voice all too well. He had broken a couple of her ribs when she had been in Angel Grove for Trini's funeral.

"Mason," she whispered. She turned around. "When did you get out of jail?"

"About three weeks ago. Your good friends, the Power Rangers, kept me in that hellhole for almost two and a half years."

"Maybe you shouldn't have tried to rape me. Let alone breaking into the apartment and assaulting me."

Mason's hand swung and Kim's head snapped to one side. "Maybe this time I'll succeed. After all, your precious Tommy isn't around to save you this time. I notice your good friend Jason is still back in Angel Grove."

"But this time I can fight back." Kim took a fighting stance with the only thought in her mind being that she had to defend herself. One man had taken her body from her in the past and she wasn't about to let anyone else do that without a fight.

"Fight back? No need to fight me. Just walk back to your apartment and do as you're told. There doesn't need to be any fighting."

"I'm not giving you what you want." Her thoughts flashed to Tommy for a split second. _'I wish you were here, Handsome.'_

**

* * *

**

'_I wish you were here, Handsome.'_ The thought caught his attention and Tommy nearly choked on his mouthful of hot coffee.

'_Kim? Is that you?'_

'_Tommy? I guess that's another power that the gem has.'_

'_What's wrong, beautiful?'_

'_Mason's here. He plans on raping me. He says that maybe this time he'll succeed since neither you nor Jase are here to help me.'_

'_Call on the gem's full power. Just let it flow through you. It'll do what needs be done.'_

'_Are you sure?'_

'_Yes. Just let the gem do what it needs to. It will protect you.'_

Kim's mind was gone the next moment and yet he was very aware of what was going on in Mariner Bay.

**

* * *

**

Kim pulled herself up to her full height and took a deep breath. She reached for the gem's energy.

The cries of two birds reached her ears. She felt a strength flow through her that she only remembered from her days as a Ranger. The Crane had returned and she had brought the Falcon with her.

"You get one last chance to walk away, Mason. I will defend myself."

Mason laughed before reaching out to grab Kim's arm. His hand passed through the empty space where her arm had been just a second earlier.

"I told you to walk away. I wasn't playing games."

Mason spun around to see Kim sitting on top of the phone booth beside the path. He lunged. She was gone.

"Where are you, you little bitch?!?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I'm right here, Mason. Can't you see me?" Kim sing-songed as she poked her face out of a nearby tree.

"What's going on here? What kind of magic show trick is this?"

"This is no magic show trick. It's the power of the Crane. And she's not happy with your plans for me. Neither is the Falcon by the way and he's lending me the strength I need." Kim stepped out of the tree completely. "You will leave now and never come back here."

"I'm not going anywhere. You robbed me of two and a half years of my life. I want payback."

"You can try." She simply jumped straight up into the branches of the tree. Skipping through the branches, she watched as Mason tried to find a way into the tree to catch her.

"You can't stay up there all day!" he shouted.

"I don't have to. My assistant coaches will be here soon enough and they'll wonder why you're yelling up into a tree at nothing. They'll call for the police and you'll be on your way to a psych eval."

"They'll see you!"

"Not if I don't want them to. They'll think you're yelling at squirrels or something. The only way to avoid it is to leave now, before they get here."

"How are you doing this?"

"I told you. It's the power of the Crane and the Falcon. We soar as one and you shall not hurt us."

"I'll get you later, you crazy bitch!" Mason shouted as he ran off.

'_I think I figured this thing out, handsome. The stone allows me to call on the power of the Crane. And the Falcon.'_


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine. Just borrowing them for a little while.

SUMMARY: Kim's discovered a thing or two about her Dino gem. She has once again accessed the power of the Crane and has been able to use the Falcon to boost that power.

SPOILERS: White Thunder part 3 and Leader of the Whack

A/N: I know this makes three in two days on this one and two on Shattered. What can I say? I'm inspired.

**

* * *

**

**Mariner Bay March 20, 2004**

Tommy hadn't called Kim in three days.

Sitting in her apartment late that night, she took several deep breaths and focused her thoughts on Tommy, hoping that the telepathic connection she had felt with him the day Mason came after her wasn't just a fluke.

'_Tommy? Tommy, are you there?'_

'_What's wrong, beautiful?'_

'_You haven't called me.'_

'_Sorry, Kim. I kind of have a problem. I can't dial a phone right now.'_

'_Why not?'_

'_I'm kind of stuck. Stuck in a block of amber.'_

'_How did that happen?'_

'_That evil White Ranger I was telling you about?'_

'_Yeah? Oh no, you figured out who he was and he did this to you.'_

'_Got it in one. It's that new kid Trent Fernandez. I was talking to Hayley on the communicator when he zapped me into the block of amber.'_

'_Did you get a chance to tell Hayley who it was?'_

'_No. He got me just before I could spit it out. Hayley's been trying to figure out a way to get me out of here. I was hoping she would have figured it out by now.'_

'_Why didn't she call me?'_

'_I kind of forgot to tell her to call you if something happened to me.' _He sounded kind of sheepish.

'_How did I know that was going to happen? I'm on my way down there.'_

'_Beautiful, don't. There's nothing you can do for me here.'_

'_I can be there for you and talk to you.'_ Tears were flowing freely down her face now.

'_Kim, don't cry, honey. I'll be fine. Hayley will figure this out. You know that she's as smart as Billy if not more so. After all, she built the Command Center.'_

'_I'll feel better if I'm there with you. I'll be there in the morning.'_

'_Just be careful, Kim. I don't want anything happening to you.'_

'_I'll be careful. You need to start being more careful. I can't keep this up forever.'_

'_I try, beautiful, but trouble always seems to find me. You know that better than anyone else.'_

'_Actually when we were in high school, it tended to find me more than you.'_ She was almost giggling through her tears.

'_True but I always had so much fun rescuing my damsel in distress.'_ He was chuckling now too.

'_I have to go now so that I can get ready to leave. I'll leave a note for Kristy. She'll understand.'_

'_Hopefully, by the time you get here, Hayley will have me out of here and I can reassure you personally.'_

'_You just keep thinking that way. If she hasn't though, I'll just stick around until she does get you out of there.'_

Kim severed their link and got up to pack a small bag for the trip down there.

**

* * *

**

**Reefside Early Morning March 21, 2004**

Kim pulled into the driveway to see Hayley's car there. She let herself into the house and went down into the basement.

Hayley was asleep with her head on the console. Kim walked over to the red-head. "Hayley? Hayley."

Hayley's head snapped up, almost catching Kim in the face. "Who- what- Kim?"

Kim giggled. "It's just me, Hayley. Why don't you go upstairs and stretch out on the couch? I'll sit down here with him for a bit."

"How did you know?"

"Tommy and I have a special bond and the Dino Gem just strengthened it. He told me what happened."

"How?"

"Telepathically. He even told me who the White Ranger was." At Hayley's look, she told her. "Trent Fernandez."

"Oh no. Kira's going to be heartbroken. She has such a crush on Trent."

"Trust me. Everything will work out fine." She gave Hayley a small push toward the stairs. "Go on upstairs. Get some sleep and later we'll figure out how to get Tommy out of there."

Hayley nodded and trudged up the stairs to stretch out on Tommy's couch. She was asleep almost before her head hit the cushion.


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: Nope still just borrowing them.

SUMMARY: Kim's back in Reefside after finding out that Tommy had been fossilized.

SPOILERS: Leader of the Whack

A/N: Just watched the episode for like the third time and really had fun picturing this part of the story. I know that someone else did this style of chapter for one of their stories but I hope mine comes out just different enough to make it worthwhile.

**

* * *

****March 21, 2004**

Connor, Ethan and Kira showed up the next afternoon ready to help. At least that's what they claimed.

When Hayley said that there really wasn't anything for them to do, Kira pulled out her guitar and started working on a song. Ethan set up his laptop to play a game while Connor started practicing soccer moves.

Kim simply sat on a chair near where Tommy's block of amber was and focused on communicating with him.

"Hayley, one more level and I break my all time record," Ethan gushed as he battled his game. Connor was standing beside him and tossed the mini soccer ball he had, shutting down the game. "Connor!"

"Sorry."

"Now I have to start all over."

"Yeah. There's this great new thing called the outdoors. Might want to check it out."

Ethan chuckled. "Tell you what. I'll check that out when I see you checking out the library."

Connor laughed. "You got about as much chance of seeing that as seeing Kira at a fashion show."

Kira looked up from her guitar with a death glare for Connor. "Do you **really** want to go there?" she asked in all seriousness.

Kim chuckled from her seat. _'Were we that bad in high school, Tommy?'_

'_Worse at times. Jason and I were always going on about martial arts. Zack had his music. You had gymnastics and shopping. Billy had his lab. Of course, then there was Trini. She had so many interests. She was the one to play peacekeeper most of the time.'_

'_I miss her.'_

'_So do I beautiful. So do I.'_

"Kim, are you okay?" Kira asked, walking over to where the original Pink Ranger sat.

"Just remembering an old friend. She's been gone for a while now. But she's the one that brought Tommy and I back together."

Ethan walked up to Hayley. "Any luck on defossilizing Dr. O?"

"Not yet. I just can't find an energy source that can safely break the molecular bonds of the amber."

Just then an alarm on the computer started going off. Everybody walked over to see what was up.

"That's weird," Hayley said, sounding totally puzzled by what she was seeing on the monitor. "The satellite's picking up a strange reading in the forest."

"Let's go take a look," Connor said. The three young people headed out to find out what was out there. Kim went to follow them. "Kim, maybe you should stay here," Connor suggested.

"Yeah. Dr. O would kill us if anything happened to you." Ethan was trying to be the diplomatic one but failing miserably.

"I'll stay here if you guys promise me that should anything happen, you'll call me. I can help."

That's when Connor noticed the pendant around her neck was glowing. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Is it a gem?" Kira asked, peering closely at the stone.

"It is. I have been working with it for the past couple of weeks or so and I think I can access it pretty much whenever and wherever I want."

"Do you have a Zord?"

"I don't think so. But I think I could control Tommy's."

'_Beautiful, don't. Just stay with Hayley. I need you here.'_

'_I want to help the kids. I haven't felt this strong in a long time. Besides, I'm just in Hayley's way here.'_

"Kim, whatever Tommy's telling you, listen to him please. You're the only one who can communicate with him right now and I need that."

"Okay, Hayley. I can't fight both of you. He wants me to stay too." Kim threw up her hands in defeat and went back to her seat.

'_I didn't want to hurt you like that. I just don't want you going out there when we don't know exactly what you're capable of with the gem yet.'_

'_Tommy, don't try to shelter me like that. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet. As much as I enjoy having you rescue me sometimes, I have to be able to do things on my own.'_

'_And I'd let you do that if I was there to save you if you needed it. Right now, I can't protect anyone. I'd go crazy if you were out there. Especially if something went wrong and something happened to you.'_

'_I'll stay put for now. But Hayley better find a way to get you out of there soon. Unless she wants a basket case on her hands.'_

'_She'll find it, Kim. Just hang in there.'_


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: Kim's in Reefside. Tommy's stuck in amber and the team's checking out a weird power reading in the forest.

SPOILERS: Leader of the Whack

* * *

"Trent?" Kira asked, approaching the smoking pit in the forest with her teammates.

"What are you guys doing here?" Trent replied standing up.

"Might ask you the same thing. Haven't seen you around for a while." Connor's voice sounded more than a little confrontational to everyone's ears.

"Yeah. We really need to catch up," Ethan chimed in, almost as bad. Cassidy and Devin just watched as the teens talked.

When her friends would have gone after Trent, Kira put her arm up in front of them. "Not now, guys."

"Kira's right. Let's check this thing out," Connor replied.

Just then, a strange voice came from behind them. "Pardon me. I don't think I'm supposed to allow you to do that."

As Cassidy and Devin ran away and Tyrannodrones surrounded the teens, Connor sounded off. "Whose side you on today, Trent?"

"You want my help or not?" Trent snapped back.

The four teenagers fought hard for several minutes against the mutant creatures. Until Hayley contacted them.

"Guys, I'm analyzing the radiation from that rock and it's really freaky. Get away from it."

"It's a little later for that," Kira answered.

When Kim heard Kira's answer, she stood up, moving closer to the console. "How bad is it, Hayley?" she asked, voicing the question Tommy had thought.

"I'm not sure, Kim. But I can't pin down the exact type of radiation. I don't know what it's going to do to the team."

The two watched as the teens powered up and they could only hope that the kids were okay when they returned to the lair.

"Well that was a challenging altercation," Connor said after the monster and Tyrannodrones had left.

"I was just getting started. I wanted to annihilate that goon," came Ethan's enthusiastic response.

Meanwhile, Kira had been examining her fingernails. "Eww. I got dirt under my nails." She sounded like the quintessential valley girl. "That's like totally disgusting."

"Where's Trent?" Connor asked.

Hayley broke in. "Guys, head back to the lab. I have some news about the space rock."

"Space rock?" the three asked as if they'd forgotten why they were out in the middle of the forest.

* * *

Hayley was sitting in front of the console when the three teens arrived. Kimberly was standing in front of Tommy's amber prison with her hand where his face was. She almost had tears in her eyes.

The teens gathered around Hayley as if they realized that Kim needed a moment with Dr. O in private.

"It's actually a meteor fragment."

"Fascinating," Connor replied. "It must have broken off during some kind of – intergalactic collision." Connor was walking away from the console and Kim turned to look at him.

'_That's Connor's voice but Ethan's words,'_ Tommy told her, just as puzzled as she was.

'_I know. What could have caused this switch? Billy's not here and his machine for switching minds was destroyed a long time ago.'_ Kimberly allowed her memories of the time she had switched bodies with Billy flow through her mind causing Tommy to chuckle through their link.

Ethan and Kira were completely puzzled by Connor's statement and Hayley stood up to address the kids. "I'm just afraid that coming in such close proximity to it might have some strange side effects. Do you guys feel okay?"

"Well, I for one am going home. If I don't soak my cuticles in an aloe bath, my nails will never grow out."

Kim just stared at Kira for a moment. She couldn't believe that something so ---- girlish for lack of a better term could come out of Kira's mouth.

Ethan's next comment puzzled all three adults. "I gotta hit the gym. Gotta work on my pecs."

"I want to get home to watch that documentary on the Great Pyramids." At Hayley's puzzled look, Connor continued. "It looks fascinating."

'_Okay. Being around that rock did something to them. Connor wants to learn. Ethan wants to workout and Kira…, I just don't know about Kira.'_

'_She's turned into me as a teenager.' _Kim was worried though. The three teenagers were somehow changing their personalities and they didn't even realize they were doing it.


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: The kids have been affected by a meteor fragment while Tommy's stuck in amber.

SPOILERS: Leader of the Whack

* * *

When Kim came downstairs the next day, she found Ethan working out and Hayley watching him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Ethan, are you sure you feel okay?"

"Oh yeah! I'm pumped and ready to rock." Just then, Connor came in looking very much the studious nerd.

Kim had to giggle at seeing Connor with glasses on and carrying a big stack of books.

"Good morning all. The weather is particularly pleasant today with excessively low humidity."

"Whatever, bro. How do my arms look? Am I ripped or what?"

'_I still can't get over how funny it is to hear Connor's words in Ethan's voice and vice versa. It's almost scary.' _Kim could almost visualize Tommy's shudders when he said that.

"Good morning, Kira," Connor said. Hayley and Kim turned to see Kira --- IN A DRESS. Kim quickly relayed the image to Tommy.

'_I wish I had my camera handy to take pictures of all of this. They'll never believe it when they snap out of it.'_ Tommy was chuckling.

"Hello," Kira started, coming down the stairs the rest of the way. "Sorry I'm late. There was a sale and well, you understand."

"A sale?" Kim asked, her old self coming to the forefront for a moment. "Where? And where did you get that dress? It's – it's"

"It's what, Kimberly?" Kira asked.

"It's adorable, Kira. But the headband is just a bit outdated." Kim was trying to be nice but she had to admit, Kira looked like she had just walked out of a 1960's ad for some kind of kitchen appliance.

"Hey, you guys think I'm ready for the Iron Man competition?" Ethan asked, still doing curls with Connor's weights.

"Okay. There were definitely side effects from you being exposed to the meteor. We need to destroy that rock and get you guys back to normal."

"But Hayley, what if that rock is the key to freeing Tommy from the amber?" Kim asked as the kids watched her. She looked over at Tommy.

"We need the team back to normal. Kimberly, I want to free Tommy as much as anyone but we need these guys normal again."

Ethan just looked at Hayley as if he didn't understand what she was saying. Connor thought for a moment then said, "Side effects. I find that highly improbable."

"Yeah," chimed in Ethan. "I feel like I could kick Mesogog's butt all by myself."

'_There's something definitely weird going on here.'_

'_Tell me about it. Kira's a younger me but without the great fashion sense.'_

'_Kim, focus here. We need to find out what that rock did to the team and we need to reverse it quickly.'_

'_Tommy, maybe I should go check it out. I promise I'll be careful.'_

'_Since you promised, okay. But don't do anything foolish, beautiful. Remember, I can't help if anything happens to you right now.'_

'_I promised. I won't do anything foolish.'_

Just then an alarm went off. "That's going to have to wait. Look who's back," Hayley said after looking at the screen and then back at the teens.

As the teens were changing to go fight the monster, Kim slipped out of the lair and ran into the woods to find the rock.

* * *

"There you are." Kim said as she walked into the clearing the rock had created when it landed. "Now let's see if I can get a piece of this thing back to Hayley for a closer look."

Kim's feet went out from under her and she found herself sliding down the slope into the crater with no way to stop.


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: Kim's gone off to try to find the rock and see if she can't bring it back to the lab for Hayley to get a closer look at. Hayley's trying to figure out what the rock did to make the kids act so strange.

A/N: I know you guys have been waiting for an update to this one but I had to get the computer away from my son so that I could watch the episode while I typed. It's not easy when he seems to only leave me in peace when he's on the computer.

* * *

"Where's Kimberly?" Hayley asked as she looked around the lab after the kids had gone to kick some monster butt. She walked up to Tommy. "I hope you didn't let her go after that damn rock. There's no telling what it'll do to her."

'_I know, Hayley. I just hope she keeps her promise to me.'_

* * *

Kimberly was in the pit with the meteor fragment. Her feet were actually touching it. She felt a sudden shock go through her. The world went black.

* * *

The three teenagers walked into the lab, not very happy that Hayley had called them away from their various activities.

"Hey guys."

"What now?" Ethan asked rudely. "I was having a super intense workout."

"And I was right in the middle of a very compelling biography." Connor was not as rude but not exactly polite either.

Then, Kira just had to open her mouth. "Is this going to involve dirt? Cause if it does I'm gonna have to say uh-uh."

Hayley had had enough. "Sorry to interrupt your busy day. Just thought you'd like to know I think I found a way to unfossilize Dr. Oliver."

The teens were shocked as they chorused "Really?"

"The meteor fragment. My theory is it frees your inner self. That's why you guys are acting so weird."

"Of course. If you could harness its power, you could free Dr. Oliver from the inside out!" Connor exclaimed. Hayley was just nodding. "Although I do take offense at being called weird."

"Sorry," Hayley started. "You're not being weird. It's just that the rock is allowing you to show a side of yourself that you don't usually show."

"A recessive personality trait."

"You could say that. Like, Connor, there's a part of you that's intelligent, studious. Ethan, there's a part of you that's athletic, even competitive."

"So that's why Trent helped us. There's still a part of him that's good," Kira chimed in.

"I still don't get any of this." Ethan was still sounding more like Connor than himself.

"You don't have to. For now just pull it together as a team. Trust me."

"That sounds logical."

"Alright. Here's what I need you to do." The alarm went off. "Again?" She turned back to the teens. "First things first."

The teens transformed to go fight the monster again. Hayley walked over to where Tommy's fossilized form stood. "I really hope that Kim's okay."

* * *

Kimberly awoke to find herself laying in a pit. "Ewww. Gross." Climbing out of the pit, she walked off through the woods, not even looking where she was going.

She found her way out to the main road and flagged down the first car she saw. Climbing in, she started picking the dirt out from under her fingernails as she spoke to the driver. "How close to Angel Grove can you get me? I need to get home. My parents are going to be freaking out."

"How about I take you back to Tommy's house to clean up, Firebird?" a familiar voice asked her.

She looked up into the eyes of her long time friend. "Jason, what are you doing here?"

She hugged him and then sat back in the seat. "So, since when do you drive and who's Tommy?"


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never have been.

SUMMARY: Hayley's figured out a possible way to break Tommy free of the amber prison he's currently in. Kim went after the rock and ended up being reverted to the type of person she was before she was ever a Power Ranger. Thankfully, Jason found her and has her in his car. Unfortunately, she seems to think she back to being fifteen again (maybe younger).

A/N: I know the last chapter was really short and I'm sorry for that. It just seemed like a good spot to end the chapter.

* * *

"Kim, what are you talking about? I've been driving since I was sixteen." 

"But, Jase, we're only fourteen." She was confusing him.

"I'm taking you to Tommy's house so that we can figure out what's wrong with you." Jason turned the car around and headed for Tommy's house.

* * *

Pulling into Tommy's driveway, Jason looked around seeing Tommy's and Hayley's cars in the driveway. "I wonder if he's even aware that you're here." 

"Who in the world is Tommy?" Kim was getting exasperated.

Sighing, Jason tried to explain. "Tommy is our friend. We've known him for a long time."

"I don't know him, do I?" Jason got out of his car and Kim followed him into the house.

"Kim, you used to date him. We met him at a martial arts exhibition in Angel Grove several years ago. The first time you saw him we had to practically drag you out of the Youth Center. He and I had a draw." The two walked into the kitchen and Jason moved the dinosaur jaw in order to open the door to the lab.

"But, Jason, that's impossible. You're the best martial artist under eighteen in Angel Grove." Kim's voice was so sickly sweet that Jason almost wanted to vomit. _'Was she this annoying back in high school?'_ he wondered.

"I'm telling you, sis. This is the year 2004. We've been out of school since 1997. You went to Florida in 1994 to compete in the Pan-Global Games under the coaching of Gunther Schmidt."

Hayley looked up as she heard Jason and Kim walking down the stairs. "Thank God you're back, Kimberly. The kids have gone to fight the monster and then they're going to bring me a piece of the rock. I think I figured out a way to free Tommy from the amber."

Kim cocked her head to the side. "And who are you?"

"What happened to her, Jason?" Hayley had a look on her face that said she suspected what might have happened.

"I don't know. I was heading over here to see if there was anything I could do to help when I saw her wandering around out by the road. She's acting like we're still only fourteen. Hayley, what's going on around here?"

Hayley took a deep breath and explained the whole situation to Jason as quickly as possible. "And that's what's going on around here right now. She's been exposed to that damn rock. I'm sure of it. Although, why it simply wiped her memory of the past what thirteen years, I haven't got a clue."

Jason sighed again. "I think I do. Part of her wishes she could go back to those days. She had no worries then. Her parents were still together and we hadn't even become Power Rangers yet. It was an easy time for her." He looked over at his teammate. "She hadn't been through everything that she has now."

"I hope that the rock's destruction snaps her out of it." Hayley looked at the young woman sadly. Tommy had told her what Kim had gone through in Florida and she hated to see what Kimberly was going to go through when her memories came back to her. "This isn't going to be easy on Tommy."

"Nothing's ever easy when it comes to those two," Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Kim had stopped to watch the screen as the Rangers fought against the giant monster. Suddenly, she spun back to look at Jason. "That creep just used my line! He said, 'Catch you on the flip side.' He's not allowed to use my line!"

Kim's bottom lip came out in a pout that Tommy would have thought adorable. Jason, however, wasn't thinking of that. He just wanted his little sis back to normal. He didn't care what it took.

* * *

In the forest, the team had just finished blasting the rock. Ethan picked up a chunk of it. 

"You think this'll work?" Kira asked.

"The components should still have residual powers that can help Dr. O."

"How do you know this stuff?"

"It's called education." Ethan looked up at Connor.

"Okay. That was kind of brutal," Connor said, sounding more like himself. "Hey, you sound like the old Ethan."

"Hey I do!"

As Connor chuckled, Kira took her usual attitude. "Thank you. One more second at a shopping mall…."

"Let's get this rock back to the lab."

The teens headed back to give Hayley the rock, all hoping that Dr. O would be alright and none knowing what had happened to Kimberly.

* * *

Jason was kneeling on the floor beside Kimberly, holding her sobbing form close when the teens came in. Kira cast a worried glance at Kimberly as she and the guys approached Hayley. "I assume you're all feeling back to normal?" 

"Hey, since the meteor changed Trent to good, couldn't we use it to fight the effects of the dino gem?" Kira asked.

Hayley thought for a moment. "That might work. But let's try this first." She inserted the fragment into some sort of device.

"Come on, Hayley."

Hayley pushed a sequence of buttons. "Activating."

The four of them watched as the device fired a beam at Tommy's amber prison. Kim and Jason soon joined them.

Suddenly, the device sparked and went dead. Kira lifted the rock out of the device and looked at it. "The rock! It's fried!"

"Yeah, but look," Connor pointed as Tommy stepped away from where he'd been standing for days. Hayley and the teens ran up to Tommy as Kimberly threw herself into his arms.

"Dr. O, awesome!"

"Good job, guys!" He wrapped one arm tight around Kimberly as he clasped the other with Jason. After a moment, Kimberly stepped back and Tommy shouted, "Power down!" Nothing happened. "I said Power down!" As everyone looked at each other with the exception of Kimberly who was staring at Tommy with tears in her eyes, he said, "I think we might have a problem."


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: Tommy's free of the amber but now he's stuck in uniform, unable to demorph. Jason's trying to help but the one most affected by all this seems to Kimberly. Can she pull it together?

A/N: I know things are slowing down with my writing. I'm hoping it'll be picking up again soon but who knows.

**

* * *

**

Kimberly was sitting on Tommy's couch when he came upstairs from the lair. He felt his heart break when he saw the tears streaming down her face. "Kim?" She looked up at him and threw herself off the couch and into his arms.

"I was so happy for a little while. I was the innocent kid I used to be." She lifted her face from his shoulder. "I hadn't been raped. I hadn't been kidnapped. None of that had happened."

"Then the rock was destroyed and all those memories came flooding back at you didn't they?"

She bowed her head and nodded. Tommy wrapped his arms around her just a little tighter. The tears flowed a little harder and her petite body trembled. "Tommy, it's so hard to believe that we've been through so much. And when I think of all the time we lost because I was afraid to talk to you …"

"But we're okay now. I'm here and I'm not leaving you. And I refuse to let you go that easily again." He squeezed her a little tighter. "How about we go upstairs and take a nap? I'm feeling a little tired."

Kim nodded and Tommy swept her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs, knowing that the nightmares that would strike his girlfriend throughout the night would make sleep very sporadic indeed.

**

* * *

**

Kim had finally gotten over the nightmares. It had taken six days of sleeping only off and on but she had made it through the nightmares. Tommy was glad she finally got a solid night of sleep because he was starting to get really grouchy. Not to mention the fact that he was tired of being in the uniform.

"Kim, I think that it would be best if you went back to Mariner Bay. There's really nothing for you to do here and, as you've said before, the center can't run itself indefinitely. Besides, Jason's here and I'll have him call you the minute anything changes if I can't."

"Tommy, I don't want to leave you. I just want to stay with you. Please."

"Kimberly, I love you. And as much as I would love to keep you here until this latest crisis passes, I'll feel better if I know that you're safe and sound in Mariner Bay." He pulled her into a tight embrace. "I promise you, I'll be careful."

"Okay. Just don't forget. You promised."

"I won't forget. Let's get you ready to go." Tommy helped her pack as much as he could and then stood on the front porch watching her drive away._ 'I love you, beautiful.'_

'_I love you too, handsome.'_

**

* * *

**

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, bro?" Jason asked as Tommy was laying flat on the back seat of the SUV on the way to Mariner Bay. "I mean what if someone figures out who you are? What if the kids need you while we're gone?"

"I want to see my fiancé and I intend to do just that." Tommy was being stubborn. "She's been getting some nasty phone calls and even worse letters. Apparently, Mason lives in Mariner Bay now and he's stalking her. Maybe having a Power Ranger show up and let it be known that she's protected at all times will help."

"Maybe. And then again maybe not." Jason sighed. "Kim can take care of herself, Tommy. She's been doing it for years."

"Yeah with a few notable exceptions. Besides, I want to make sure that she hasn't had any more nightmares."

"That was pretty bad."

"Five full nights of practically no sleep because of the nightmares. I was really turning into a bear."

"Careful about that, man. Aisha might have to come and kick your butt for becoming her animal."

"Aisha would understand, especially since having the twins." Jason had to admit that Tommy had a point there. Aisha had given birth to twin boys who apparently had their father's appetite as well as his mischievous nature. The twins were almost two so it was even worse for the Bear.

"Can you imagine living in a house with three Rockys? Man, that's scary just thinking about it."

Tommy laughed. "You're not kidding. Kim told me once that she had a nightmare about us having six kids, three boys and three girls. The boys were all just like me and the girls were exactly like her. She said that if that dream actually came to pass, she'd make me keep the kids for a whole weekend by myself each month so that she could run away and hide."

Jason could barely suppress a laugh at that. He could almost picture the two of them dealing with six kids of various ages. It would be frightening.

"Okay. We just passed the city limits sign for Mariner Bay. Keep quiet so people don't think I'm talking to myself."

Tommy chuckled but didn't say another word until they got to the compound on the other side of the city.

As they were driving through the woods, Jason slowed down and Tommy got out of the car in order to surprise Kim and everyone else in the compound.

As Jason pulled up to the center, Kim came running out with a smile on her face. "Hey, Rex! How are things in Reefside?"

"About normal. The Rangers are still fighting Mesogog. Tommy's still kind of under the weather. He hasn't been in school in a while. But he wanted me to come up and check on you." He sighed deeply. "Sis, he found out about the letters and the phone calls."

"Damn. I was trying not to worry him about that. I'm taking care of it."

"That would be the reason I came up here. Tommy asked me to come and see if you needed any help." The familiar voice behind her sent a chill down Kim's back. She spun around.

"Black Ranger! Aren't you a long ways from home?"

"When it comes to friends, no distance is too far to travel." She could almost hear the smile she knew was hiding behind the helmet.

"Friends?" Kristy asked as she walked up to the Black Ranger.

"Kim's a good friend of mine as well as being engaged to another good friend of mine. She has the protection of the Power Rangers no matter where she is." Kim couldn't help but smile as she caught his thought. _'Like I wouldn't come up here when Kristy told me about the letters and the phone calls.'_

_'Somehow, I knew you'd come up here. Even if it had to be in uniform.'_ He smiled at the laughter running through her mind.


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: Nope not mine. I wouldn't mind though.

SUMMARY: Tommy's found out about some nasty phone calls and letters that Kim's been getting and he and Jason have gone to Mariner Bay in order to find out what's going on. Is it really Mason or has someone new started stalking Tommy's fiance?

A/N: I know, WOW! Four updates in two days so far and three more in the works. The muse is really working me. By the way for those who still haven't voted on a sequel to Nerves of Steel the poll is still going. At least until Monday.

* * *

Jason and Tommy sat on Kim's couch while she fixed some dinner. "I hope you can at least take off your helmet, Tommy. I'm going to be really upset if you can't eat any of this."

"What are you making, sis?" Jason asked from where he sat.

"Chicken Carbonara. It's one of those ridiculously easy dishes that's just fantastic for someone that exerts as much energy as a Power Ranger or a gymnast does."

"You learned how to cook, sis?"

"Very funny, Rex. Just for that, you don't get any desert."

Tommy got up and walked up behind his girlfriend, pulling off his helmet as he went. "And what's for desert, Beautiful?"

"Jason's favorite, homemade apple cobbler. With ice cream." She leaned back into the warm embrace. Tommy kissed the top of her head.

"Sis, you can't deprive me of desert! That's just not fair!" Jason whined from the couch.

"I don't know. Tommy, what do you think?"

"I think he needs a little cheese with that whine." Tommy chuckled as Kim turned her head for a kiss, which he promptly placed, on her lips.

"Finish that supper. I'm getting hungry here. You guys can play kissy face later."

"I want to play kissy face now," Kimberly smiled up at her boyfriend. He chuckled.

"I do too. But I'm getting kind of hungry myself." He kissed her one more time before going to sit at the table. "I just wish we could find a way to get me out of this uniform. It's not exactly the most comfortable sleeping in."

"I would guess not." Kimberly couldn't imagine what it had to be like for Tommy to be stuck in his uniform. She knew that spandex was good for some things but sleeping couldn't be one of them.

Just then the phone rang. Kimberly picked it up and put it to her ear with a shaky hand. "Hello?"

"Hello, princess. How are you?"

Tommy noticed the visible relaxation of his girl's shoulders and relaxed himself.

"Hi, Daddy. I'm fine. The center's going great right now."

"That's good. How's Tommy?"

"He's been a little under the weather but he's getting better."

"How about Jason?"

"He's here visiting right now. I was just fixing dinner."

"Okay. Just wanted to check up on my little girl. I'll call next week."

"Okay, Daddy. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone only to have it ring again a moment later. She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello, precious. I see that you have some company. That's okay. They can't stay forever."

"You can't see…."

"Jason's sitting on your couch and the Black Ranger, is that really Tommy Oliver? He's standing right behind you. You were cooking dinner when your dad called and now you're staring at the window. Of course, the blinds and the curtains are both closed so you must be wondering how I'm seeing everything. You can search all you like, my dear. You will never find the cameras I'm using."

Tommy slipped the phone from his fiancée's weakening grasp. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Don't worry, Tommy. I keep a good eye on your girl for you. Actually, I plan on taking her from you at the first chance I get but that's okay. When I do, you won't ever see her again except for the occasional picture I post of her. I'll make sure that she's completely hidden from all of you."

"You aren't going to touch her!" Tommy growled, wrapping an arm around Kim and pulling her close. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she buried her head in his chest.

"Can you guarantee that? You can't be with her at every moment. And that beautiful pendant can't protect her either. She's going to be mine, Tommy. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Tommy could feel Kim shaking against him and his anger grew. "Touch her and I'll forget all about the rules. I'm going to rip you apart."

"Not likely, my friend. You won't violate your precious rules. I know you better."

Jason was prowling the room after having turned off the stove. He found one of the cameras and then another, pulling and crushing them as he went.

"Jason's doing a good job finding your cameras isn't he, you creep?"

"I'll just put new ones in."

"We'll find those too." Tommy hung up the phone. He bent over Kim's head. Whispering so that it couldn't be picked up by any camera, he told her to throw out the dinner and go pack a bag.

She did quickly. The phone started ringing just as they opened the door to leave. They didn't stop, loading Kim into the car and driving away from the complex.

Her cell phone rang. Looking at the number that came up, Kim quickly rolled down her window and threw the phone out.

"It was him," she whispered when Tommy turned in the seat to look at her. He nodded and took her hand as Jason drove them through the night.


	19. Chapter 19

Kim was asleep when they reached Reefside. As they pulled in, Tommy pulled his hand from hers in order to get out and pick her up.

"What are you going to do, bro?"

"I'm guessing that this freak knows who all of her friends are and knows where they all are. Fortunately for us, I know of a couple of places where he'll never be able to get to her."

Jason smiled and nodded. "Andros."

"You got it. I'll take care of calling him later when I can be sure that the guy doesn't have my phones bugged too."

"I think I better stay here tonight. Help you keep things under control."

As Tommy nodded and reached to open Kim's door, she sat up straight with her eyes wide open and glazed in fear. "Tommy!" she screamed.

Throwing open the door, Tommy reached into the car and wrapped his arms around the woman he loved. "I'm right here, Kim. Right here beside you. I've got you and you're safe."

She buried her face in his shoulder as he hooked an arm under her legs and picked her up out of the car. "Why won't these crazies leave me alone? First Mason, then Craig, then Mason again. Now this creep. What do they want with me?"

"I hate to say it, sis. I don't think this guy is actually focused on you. I think he's more after Tommy and just using you to get to him."

"What makes you say that, Jase?" Tommy asked as they made their way up the front steps.

"Look at the facts. One, you told me on the way here that he told you that he was going to take her from you. If he was actually after Kim for Kim, he would have accused you of trying to steal her from him. If he was actually stalking Kim, he'd have already made a move to try to take her from the complex instead of waiting for you to come and make sure that she was safe. I mean really, bro. You do have your own share of enemies."

"But who would want to get at me through Kim?" Tommy was racking his brain trying to think of one person who would want to hurt Tommy by taking away the person he loved the most in the world.

"Just take care of Kim for tonight man. Tomorrow, after we tuck her away with Andros, we'll figure out who's trying to get to her."

"Okay."

****

"Don't worry, Tommy. I'll take good care of her. After all, it's not her we're really after. I plan on taking from you what you most care about just like you did to me."

Zeltrax settled in for a long night of watching for an opening. He was definitely going to destroy Tommy Oliver with this little scheme of his.


	20. Chapter 20

Just before dawn the next morning, Tommy went down to the Dino Thunder Command Center with Kim and Jason. It was time to contact Andros through the secure line to DECA.

"Hey Andros."

"Tommy, Jason, Kim. How are you guys?"

"Andros, we need your help. There's a creep stalking Kim. We think that he's actually after me and just coming after her to throw me off. We need somewhere to stash her until we can find out who it is and stop them." 

"No problem. She can hang out on DECA. She'll be perfectly safe there. After all, DECA can move around. And she has really serious defenses."

"Okay. Can DECA transport her up?"

"Sure. She'll be the only one there though."

"So much the better. That way DECA will know if anyone's prowling around." Tommy was so determined to keep Kim safe that he didn't think about what would happen on the way. He didn't think about the possibility of someone waiting in the woods for them to come outside.

"Just get outside and we'll take care of the rest," Andros told them.

Tommy nodded. "No problem." Once the link was closed, Tommy stepped in closer to Kim and pulled her into his arms.

"I want to stay with you, Tommy. I don't want to be alone up there."

"Don't worry, Kim. It's just until we figure out who's stalking you and take care of the problem. Besides, if it gets too lonely, just open your mind and talk to me. I promise I'll be here."

"I don't want to go."

"Kim, I'd like to do nothing more than to stay right here with you and protect you. But you and I both know that I can't."

"I'll go. I just don't want to."

"If it helps, you can use DECA's holographic training decks to practice your Dino Gem's powers."

"You don't think Andros would mind?"

"Of course not, beautiful. He won't mind at all." He kissed the top of her head and the three of them left the command center to send Kim out of harm's way.

****

Andros stood at DECA's control panel when he noticed the battle going on at the coordinates where he was supposed to pick up Kimberly. Right before his eyes, he watched as the drones that had lay in wait all morning attacked his friends. Kim was separated from the guys and, even though she was fighting back, wasn't doing as well as they were.

Andros ran for the transportation platform. He knew that he had to help them.

Just as he hit the ground though, Zeltrax came up behind Kim and knocked her on the head. He caught her as she fell and then stepped through an invisi-portal. Taking with him the one person, Tommy Oliver loved most in this world.


	21. Chapter 21

"Welcome to my home, Kimberly. You have been brought here to help in the destruction of Dr. Tommy Oliver."

"Well, look here, Dino Dork, Tommy and his team will come rescue me and until then, I'm not helping you with anything." Kimberly took on her teenage attitude in order to hide just how scared she really was.

"Zeltrax, place her in a cell below until I figure out just how best to make use of the original Pink Ranger and her Dino Gem." Mesogog watched as Zeltrax pulled the struggling Kimberly out of the room and to the dungeons below. "Elsa, I want you to take a message to Dr. Oliver. Tell him that Kimberly is mine now and he will never see her again unless he and his team give up the Dino Gems. If he decides not to comply, I will have to harm the lovely Pink Ranger."

Elsa bowed and left the island through an invisi-portal.

**** 

Tommy and Jason stood in the woods near Tommy's house with Andros. "I can't believe they took her. They took Kimberly!"

"This scene seems familiar, bro." 

"No kidding, Jase. Just like in high school when they'd always take her and I'd have to rescue her."

"Of course then it was because Lord Zedd wanted to marry her."

Elsa was suddenly standing in front of the three friends. "Hello, Tommy."

"What do you want, Elsa?" Tommy asked with a smirk.

"I bring a message from my master. He says that Kimberly is his and you will never see her again unless you and your team give up the Dino Gems. If you decide not to comply, he says he will be forced to hurt the lovely Pink Ranger. And she seems so delicate and fragile. It shouldn't be too hard to hurt her. I would have thought you'd go for someone with a bit more fortitude."

"You return with a message for your master. Tell him that I will rescue MY Kimberly from him and he will regret ever messing with her."

"Oh I'll give him the message, Tommy. And then maybe he'll let me play with her for a while. Just to see what her DNA would do in the Randomizer." Elsa shook her shoulders back and forth for a moment and then disappeared into the portal.

"We have to find her fast. Andros, can DECA find Mesogog's island?"

"I don't know. I'll try. Maybe we can get her to access the power of the gem you gave her? Might make it a little easier to pinpoint her location."

"I can try to connect with her but I don't know if she still has the gem." Tommy walked back into the house. He sighed as he tried to get comfortable on the couch in order to contact Kim telepathically.

****

_'Kim? Kim, can you hear me?'_

'_Tommy? Tommy, I'm sorry. I just didn't move fast enough. I didn't get away.'_

'_Do you still have your gem?'_

'_Yeah. Why?'_

'_Andros says that if you can access the power of it, he might be able to pinpoint you and help get you out of there.'_

'_I'll try anything to get away from Dino Dork and his Duo of Dummies. He really gives me the creeps.'_

'_Just keep accessing the gem. We'll find you and bring you back. I think we know who was stalking you now.'_ Something occurred to Tommy as he was talking to Kim. _'Did you happen to see a teen dressed all in white? Maybe even the White Ranger?'_

'_No I didn't. Why, Tommy?'_

'_I'm thinking that he's the one that was trying to agitate me last night at your place. He would be doing that for Mesogog, knowing that I'd recognize Mesogog's voice.'_

'_Tommy, I'm kind of scared. I haven't been captured by the true bad guys in so long I'd forgotten what it was like.'_

'_We're going to get you back, beautiful. Don't worry. You won't be there too long.'_

'_Tommy, someone's coming.'_

'_I'm right here, Kim. I'm not going to leave you alone.'_

Kim looked at the woman standing on the other side of the door. "What do you want?"

"Just a little of your blood. It'll be a great addition to the Randomizer. And just maybe it'll help me come up with the monster that can finally defeat Tommy Oliver and his Rangers Rats once and for all." Elsa opened the door and four drones ran in to hold Kim still as Elsa hit her with the hypodermic and drew off some of the woman's blood.

Before she left, she noticed the gem winking at her from the pendant around Kim's neck. "What's this? A new Dino Gem? Mesogog will be quite interested in this."

She walked out with a smile on her face, a devious plan forming in her twisted and warped mind.


	22. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: Nope not mine.

SUMMARY: What's Mesogog up to with Kimberly? Why all the drama?

* * *

"Master, I have news. I have discovered a new Dino Gem," Elsa announced as she walked into the chamber housing the Genome Randomizer. She stopped in front of Mesogog and tapped the vials of Kim's blood against her hand.

"And where is this Dino Gem?"

"In your dungeons, Master. Around the neck of the original Pink Power Ranger."

"I already knew of that one, Elsa. But the look on your face tells me you've come up with a plan to make use of it."

"I believe I have, Master. We just need to work with her DNA a bit before giving it back to her. We can make her completely yours to control with the right adjustments to her samples. And make it so that Tommy Oliver turns his back on her completely."

"Interesting idea. What do you plan to do?"

Elsa told her master what she intended for Kimberly in great detail and with great glee.

****

Kim's eyes were closed and she was focusing on using the strength of the Crane and the Falcon to maintain her connection to Tommy. She was focusing so hard that she never noticed when the door to her cell opened.

She didn't notice much of anything until Elsa jabbed her with the needle to replace the blood she'd taken from her.

As the various compounds that had been added to her blood started reacting in the main bloodstream, Kim felt a fire race through her veins, causing a scream to rip from her throat.

****

Tommy's head fell back against the back of the couch as an anguished roar left his mouth. "What is he doing to her?" Jason asked as Tommy's head flung forward and he took some deep breaths to try to focus himself.

"They injected her with something. It's burning her from the inside. Jason, I think they're changing her somehow. But they're hurting her. That much I know." A growl roughened his voice. "And they will pay for hurting her. They will pay."


	23. Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: Nope not mine. I can dream though can't I?

SUMMARY: Kim's been given back the blood that Elsa took from her. What did she do to it?

* * *

Kim lifted her head slowly from the bed she was laying on. Her eyes were glowing pink and she moved as if she was very sore.

Tenderly stepping off the bed, she stumbled to the mirror that was on the wall. She couldn't remember seeing it there before. Looking into the mirror, she screamed as she saw what the tainted blood had done to her.

****

Tommy and the team were sitting in the command center when Andros called. "Tommy, I think I've found her."

"What do you mean you think?"

"Something's off about the readings I'm getting from her. I'll send you what I have and you make the decision as to what it is." Suddenly, a massive amount of data started flowing into the computers. Hayley pushed Tommy out of the way and started reading through everything that was coming in.

"Not good. According to these readings, there are some unusual chemical compounds in her blood that have somehow mutated her system. It's still her. But different. Very different."

"Then we need to get her back and figure out how to change her back." Tommy made it sound so very simple. Andros and Jason both knew that it just wouldn't be that easy.

****

"What have you done to me?" sobbed Kimberly as she sat on the bed in her cell.

"It's nothing we did. The Dino Gem did it. It reacted to your former powers and did this to you."

"That's not possible. Tommy would have told me if it could do something like that."

"He apparently isn't as smart as you give him credit for."

"Then why didn't it happen to him? He's held the power longer than I have."

"Maybe it has and he's learned how to hide it." Mesogog lifted her face to look at him. "Maybe we should give you a new name. Something to go with the wings."

"Leave me alone!" she screamed. Not that her voice was at all recognizable to her own ears. It had changed. It sounded deeper, gravelly.

"I will return later, young Teryx. That would be perfect. You look so much like an archaeopteryx. Those wings are lovely."

Mesogog left the room and shut the door behind him. Kimberly simply buried her face in her hands and cried.

****

Tommy watched as Hayley began typing on the computer, trying to figure out what had changed about Kim.

'_Tommy?'_

'_Beautiful. I've been so worried about you. What's happening?'_

'_They did something to me. I've – I've changed. I don't know what happened.'_

'_What's changed?'_

'_I have wings. And a tail. Dino Dork said I look a lot like an archaeopteryx. Said he was going to call me Teryx to go with the wings.' _He could hear her sniffle._ 'What is an archaeopteryx?'_

'_It was a very small dinosaur. It has been called the very first real bird. When I say small, Kim, I really mean small. These things were only about a foot long with a wingspan of about a foot and a half. But it's assumed that they were pretty fierce for their size. They were carnivores.'_

'_Tommy, I don't want the tail or wings. I want to be normal. He tried to tell me that the Dino Gem did this to me.'_

'_Not possible. They had to have done something to you. We'll get you back and then we'll figure out how to turn you back to normal. I promise.'_

'_I'm hideous right now. I don't want anyone to see me like this.'_

'_Your looks don't matter to me. You are beautiful. No matter what, you will always be my beautiful.'_

'_I love you, Tommy.'_

'_I love you, beautiful.' _Tommy pulled back from the communication. He would find a way to make Kim the woman she had once been.

"How's Kim holding up, bro?"

"Mesogog turned her into an archaeopteryx. She got the tail and wings and her voice has changed. She thinks she's hideous right now."

"Don't worry, Tommy. Hayley, Andros and Billy will find a way to fix this."

"But Billy's in another galaxy right now and can't come help us."

"You might be surprised, man. Billy can do just about anything."

"Tommy, there's a message coming in from the Animarium?" Hayley sounded unsure of herself.

Tommy ran over. "Hey, Cole. How's it going?"

"Great. Hey look, we just heard that you're having some problems with someone stalking Kimberly. Is everything okay?"

"Well the bad guy here has captured her. He's messing with her DNA and adding dinosaur traits to her." Tommy paused for a moment. "Hey, Cole. Can I call you back in just a bit? I think I just figured out a way to help her."

"Cool. I'll talk to you later." The screen went black.

Tommy sat down on his couch. He directed his thoughts inward until he managed to contact the one person that might be able to help his fiancée.

"Hello, Mystic Mother."


	24. Chapter 24

"Tommy! How wonderful to hear from you after all this time! How are you?"

"I'm fine. I have a problem and I believe you can help me solve it." He described as quickly as possible the situation with Kimberly and then asked if she had any ideas as to how to help Kimberly.

"You'll have to rescue her quickly. I might be able to help her but it will have to be soon. Otherwise, the change might end up being permanent. I'm sorry, Tommy but that's about all I can do for now."

"Thank you. I'll try to get her back quickly. And I'm glad to have you on our side."

"A place I'm glad to be. It feels good to be working with you instead of against you."

Tommy came back to himself to find Hayley and Jason staring hard at him as if he'd grown an extra head or something. "What, guys?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"The Mystic Mother. She's a force to be reckoned with on our side. I was hoping she could help Kimberly but only if we get her back soon."

"The Mystic Mother? Who's that?"

"We use to know her as Rita Repulsa. She turned good when Zordon was …." Tommy shook his head. "Anyway, she's now a powerful sorceress for good. There's a possibility that she may be able to fix Kim."

"Great. Now all we have to do is get her back and …"

"Tommy." A soft voice interrupted Jason's.

"Dulcea," Tommy looked up at her. In his eyes, she was a reminder of a simpler time. When he didn't have to try to regain Kimberly's trust.

"Mighty Falcon, your Crane does not need fixed. The chemicals that your adversary put in her blood merely brought out both the Crane and the Pterodactyl in the woman you love. She does not see this. She only sees that she is different now than the woman you fell in love with."

"She thinks she we won't want to be around her with her looking that way."

"You must convince her that you love her anyway. You all must. She feels frightened and alone. Do not let her stay that way. If she does not believe you, she may not be able to return to her true form."

"Do you mean that this would have happened sooner or later anyway?"

"You are clever, Jason. Trini always believed in you and has often told me of the man she loves. Kimberly's Dino Gem has not only allowed her to access the strength of both her spirit animal and Tommy's but has allowed her to access the power, the capabilities of the Pterodactyl she once soared as."

"But how is it manifesting in physical form?"

"It is untempered access to the Morphin Grid. The Dino Gems are extremely powerful. They are even more powerful than the Zeo Crystal in some ways. Kimberly has found a way to gain total access to the Grid. She has circumvented the safeties innate in the Gems. She is at a dangerous point right now and we need to make sure that she can control such blatant power."

"But why haven't I gone through this same thing?"

"I am not sure. It could be any number of factors that have caused Kimberly to go through this at this point. It could be that you will go through it later and she will be able to help you as you must now help her. The reasons for this are too unclear at this point."

"What can I do to help her?"

"She has to be convinced that she is still just as beautiful to you as she has always been. Until then, her temper could very well be highly unpredictable. Much as the pterodactyl and even the crane."

"She knows that her looks have never been important to me. It's her heart, her spirit that I fell in love with."

"Just continue to assure her of that. Make sure that she remembers who she is." Dulcea's image faded away with a sad smile.

"How do I do that?" Tommy muttered as he sank back onto the couch.

"You'll figure it out, bro. And we'll help you."

He just threw one arm over his eyes.

****

"See, Kimberly, I told you that Tommy wouldn't love you like this." Elsa taunted. She was trying to convince the young woman that Tommy would be embarrassed to be seen with her looking the way she did.

"He does love me!"

"If he loved you, he would have come to rescue you by now."

"He's just trying to find a way to get me out of here safely."

"Weren't you paying attention? I showed you the way he's behaving. He's even called that replacement of yours."

"No. He didn't call Kat."

"Would you like to hear what they talked about? He invited her to his house tonight."

Elsa pulled out the tape of the conversation she had heard and played the one portion guaranteed to drive the woman into despair.

"Kat, can you come over to my house tonight? I need to talk to you."

"Of course, Tommy. What time would you like me to be there?"

"How about seven? Does that sound good?"

"Okay. I'll be there. See you later, Tommy."

"See you, Kat."

As Elsa turned off the tape player, a keening screech sounded. It echoed throughout the island fortress. Elsa found herself sitting down the hall from the cell that had been holding Kimberly.

Pulling herself to her feet, she caught a glimpse out the window of the pink toned feathers flying away from the fortress.

"Not quite what I had planned but it'll do." Else smirked as she watched her prisoner go.


	25. Chapter 25

Kimberly felt the tears stream down her altered face as she flew away from Mesogog's island. Tommy wouldn't do this to her. Not now. Not ever.

But why had he called Kat? What was going on that he would ask the blonde to come to the house at that hour of the night? The thoughts ran rampant through her mind. She wasn't sure what to think. Maybe she should just go to his house and ask him what was going on. But which way to fly? How was she supposed to find him when she didn't even know where she was?

She was thinking so much that she didn't realize that she was right over Tommy's house until she'd almost passed it. She circled the house twice before her feet touched down on the ground.

Walking up on to Tommy's porch, she looked through the living room window and wanted to scream. Kat was sitting there next to Tommy with her arms around him. His shoulders were shaking and he was leaning into the embrace.

She slipped off the porch and ran for the forest. Huddling down into the bushes she decided to wait for Kat to come out of the house. What she would say to the blonde she didn't know.

****

It had been almost two hours before the young woman walked out of Tommy's house. Kimberly was nearly asleep in the bushes across the road from the house. But she woke up as Kat stepped off the porch.

"Kat?" Kim called cautiously.

"Kim? Is that you?" Kat was trying to see her friend in the darkness but she couldn't make out any more than a vague shape.

"Is Tommy asleep?"

"Yeah. He took your disappearance hard. He called me to come over and see if I could help the kids out for a short time. He wanted me to take his Dino Gem so that he could focus on finding you."

"Come over here for a minute. I want to talk to you."

"Don't you want to come in the house and let him know that you're okay?"

"Let him rest. He's had a hard day."

Kat cautiously stepped toward the spot where Kim was hidden. "He has. I'm guessing you've had a hard day yourself."

Once Kat was close enough, Kim stepped fully out of the bushes. "You're trying to do it again, aren't you? Trying to take him from me? It won't work this time. I can fight back."

Kat did the only thing that came to her mind the minute she saw Kimberly's altered appearance. She screamed.

****

Kat's scream woke Tommy up from where he lay on the couch. Bolting for the door, he hoped he was wrong. He hoped for once that his instincts were beyond wrong.

Ripping open the front door, he saw Kat trying to duck away and protect her face from the vicious attacks Kimberly was launching at her.

"Kim, NO! Don't!" He ran toward his fiancé. He pulled Kat away from Kim and stepped in front of her. "Kim, please. Don't do this. Remember the nightmares you had after Murianthas. Remember how awful you felt for how much you hurt all of us. Don't do this. For me. Please just stop and think about what you're doing."

"I won't let her take you from me again." Kim tried to walk around him to the woman she saw as her rival. Tommy merely adjusted his position to keep her away from Kat. "You're protecting her!"

"Only because I know what it would do to you if you really hurt her. Kim, I love you."

"How can you love a monster?" she sobbed, stepping back away from the man she loved so desperately.

Tommy took a step forward. "I love the woman you truly are, Kimberly. I love the woman that exists in your heart no matter what the outside looks like." He smiled at her. "Although I have to say, those wings are beautiful."

"They're hideous! I look like a freak!"

He stepped closer to her as she fell to her knees. "They're beautiful. Such a pale shade of pink interlaced with the white. How could anything related to you be anything but beautiful?" He knelt in front of her and cupped her chin gently. "I love you, Kimberly. And nothing, not looks, not temper, not anything in this world or any other can change that."

Tears were flowing freely down the face in front of him. Suddenly, she screamed and launched herself skyward. Tommy watched with tears in his own eyes as the woman he loved flew away from him.

"Tommy? Are you alright?" Kat's softly accented voice came from behind him.

"I'll be fine, Kat. Why don't you come inside and we'll get those scratches looked at?"

He helped his friend up and the two of them walked into the house together.


	26. Chapter 26

Kimberly found a cave deep in the hills surrounding Reefside. She curled up inside and draped a wing over her head as she cried herself to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. You deserve better than this. I just don't have the strength to let you go."

****

Tommy was stretched out on his bed after showing Kat to the guest room. He couldn't sleep and he knew that it was no use trying. He was too worried about Kimberly.

He wanted nothing more right at that moment then to have her wrapped safely in his arms. He focused on the words that Dulcea had said to him. The only way to save her now was to make sure that she understood that he loved her no matter what she looked like.

Suddenly, he stood up. He was going looking for Kim and Jason was just going to have to wake up and go with him.

****

A hand reached out for the phone by the bed. As the head came up to see where the hand was going, two bleary eyes stared daggers at said phone.

"Someone better be dead," a voice grumbled into the phone.

"Get up and get dressed, bro. We have to find Kim." Tommy's determined voice rang through Jason's ears.

"Why? What happened? Did you see her?"

"I did. And she would have killed Kat if I hadn't been there." Tommy hurriedly told his oldest friend what had happened and Jason quickly agreed that they had to find their friend quickly before she really hurt someone. They knew that wouldn't be good. "When she flew off, she headed east. There are a lot of hills out there. Maybe we could get some of the other teams to help us out."

"You start calling them. I'll be at your house shortly."

"Deal, bro. See you in a bit."

The two hung up as Jason reached for his track pants beside the bed.

****

Almost fifty former Rangers were gathered in Tommy's front yard. They had dropped everything when he called for help.

"What do you need us to do, Tommy?" asked Cole.

"We're going to split into teams and search the hills out here. I don't want any of the girls alone. Kim is likely to see each and every one of them as a rival or a threat. So if you find her, let the guys do the talking and don't agitate her."

"How do you want to split?"

"I'm thinking that since it looks like guys outnumber girls 2 to 1 we'll do teams of three with two guys and one girl. I'll say right now Connor, Kira and Jason are one team. We need to find her quickly. Dulcea's worried that she may not be able to revert to her true form if we don't." 

"We'll find her, Tommy. The Rangers have always protected their own and this is no different." Carter's voice rang out over the rest as he made his promise.

Tommy just smiled and nodded. It was time to create the teams.

****

"Kim! Kimberly!" The voice echoed through Kim's head. She knew that voice but for a moment she couldn't remember HOW she knew it.

"Kimberly! Come on out, Firebird!" Who was that? Why did that voice sound so familiar?

At just that moment a head poked into the cave as she stretched. "Jason! Over here! I found her!"

Another male head showed up. "Kim! Thank the Power! Come on out of there. Tommy wants you to come back."

The first person backed out of the cave as the second walked in slowly with his hands out as if to show her that he wasn't holding anything. "Kim, come on out. I'll take you back to Tommy."

Kim wasn't so sure about this guy. He was big. Her eyes grew large with fear. Jason stopped moving. Her eyes had changed. She no longer had the innocent chocolate eyes that everyone had fallen for when they were kids.

No, her eyes were now a silver color with a hint of pink, green and black swirling inside them. They were eerie but he could still see the woman he called his sister in them. "I have to laugh. Even your eyes show your tie to Tommy. They may be silver but there's still some green and black in there too. He wants you to come back to him, Kim. We all want you back. We'll help you but you have to come back with us."

She shook her head. The man sighed and pulled out a small device. "Tommy, man, I found her. She's in a cave about fifteen miles from your place. She won't come out and she's acting like she's scared of me."

"I'm on my way. Just don't frighten her too badly."

"I'm trying not to, bro. But I don't want to let her run off either."

"Just hang on, bro."

Jason put away his cell phone and sat down on the floor of the cave. He started talking about everything they used to do as kids and then later on when they were all Rangers. His soothing voice soon had Kim calmed and while she wasn't coming toward him at least she wasn't cringing away from him either.


	27. Chapter 27

DISCLAIMER: Nope not mine.

A/N: I know that some of you will recognize the song in here. It's the one that Kim and Zack sang for Tommy at the end of 'Song of Guitardo' from Season 2.

* * *

Tommy's jeep flew over the rough terrain as he headed for the cave Jason had called from. He just hoped that Jase wouldn't have to try to restrain Kim. She would probably hurt him badly and then they'd have to deal with her guilt when they got her back to normal.

Pulling up outside the cave, Tommy leapt from the vehicle and ran to the mouth of the cave. "Jase?"

"Right here, bro. She's not cringing from me anymore but she won't come any closer. I don't understand."

"Let me try." Jason stood up and moved backward as Tommy came further in. "Kim? Kimberly, it's me. Won't you come out here and talk to me?"

She scooted just a little bit closer to him but not within reach.

"Tommy, I don't understand why she can't see what we do. She's beautiful. I especially love the eyes." Jason was sitting about four feet behind Tommy as he spoke.

Tommy leaned in and looked closely at the silver eyes that gazed back at him. "Pink, green and black swirls. Very cool." He held out a hand to his fiancé. "Of course, I think the wings are really cool. They're white with iridescent pink swirls. I can't wait till you get a chance to see them in the light."

"Ugly," Kim whispered. One word but she immediately had the attention of the guys in front of her. Kira was outside next to Connor. She was almost in tears over the whole situation. She wanted to talk to Kim.

She stepped forward, knowing full well that Kim could attack her the same way she did Katherine. She watched as Tommy edged closer to Kimberly and held her breath. Would Kim attack?

Jason himself was ready to run in to pull Tommy away from his little sister. He knew that Tommy was probably the only chance they had left to save Kim but he didn't want the guy hurt.

Tommy slowly moved ever closer to Kimberly, praying that what he was doing wouldn't end up hurting her in the long run. "Kim, please come out. I need you to come out here."

She huddled back a little, bowing her head as if she was ashamed she'd even spoken.

Suddenly, Kira thought of something. She ran back to Jason's jeep and grabbed her guitar. She remembered the song Kim had been teaching her the past few days.

Heading back toward the cave, Connor grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to convince Kim that we're not here to hurt her." She pulled her arm away from Connor and walked into the cave.

"Kira, no." Jason was trying to stop her now.

"Jason, someone has to get through to Kim and I think I can. Just let me try."

Jason paused for a moment and then shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt to let you try. But you go no further than Tommy, understood?"

She nodded and walked further in, sitting down next to her mentor. "I want to try something, Dr. O."

She started playing the guitar. "I hope you remember this song, Kim. You've been trying to teach me to let the emotions speak through the music and I think I finally understand exactly what you mean."

_Down the road, we never know_

_What life may have in store_

_Winds of change will rearrange_

_Our lives more than before_

_But you'll never stand alone, my friend_

_Memories never die_

_In our hearts they'll always live_

_And never say goodbye._

_And never say goodbye._

Kim looked up at Kira. "Dr. O, her eyes are brown again!"

Tommy looked closely at the woman he loved. "She's right, Jase. Her eyes are back to normal."

Kim suddenly screamed as her body started contorting again. A bright pink light enveloped. No one could see her but the four could hear her screaming loudly.

Kira bowed her head with tears flowing from her eyes. The screams hurt her ears but the thought of what kind of pain it would take to drag those screams from the former Pink Ranger hurt even worse. Tommy gently pulled his Yellow Ranger into his shoulder and held her as he cried for his love.

The pink light started fading away and Kira pulled away from Tommy only to move back to where Connor was waiting for her at the mouth of the cave. Connor wrapped his arms around his teammate and held her close.

"Jason, turn around," Tommy's voice called. "Kira, bring me a blanket."

Kira moved as if to get the blankets from Tommy's jeep only to find that Connor had already grabbed them and was holding them out in front of her. She smiled up at him and took the blankets, walking back in to the cave.

Kim was trying to sit up from where she had lain before. She was back to normal. But Kira understood why Jason was told to turn his back to the scene. Kim was naked as the day she was born and Tommy didn't want to embarrass her. Kira walked up to her friend and helped her to wrap the blankets around herself.

"It's alright, Kim. Just take it easy. You'll be okay now. We've got you." Kira continued to gently croon to her predecessor as she made sure the blankets were secure. Kim had told her about the situation with Craig and the insecurities she still had about herself. "Dr. O, you can come on in now. She's covered."

Tommy moved to Kim's side and picked her up carrying her back to his jeep. Kira climbed into the back seat and Tommy set his fiancé next to her. Kim immediately curled up on the seat with her head in Kira's lap, the teen gently stroking the hair back from her face and humming that song.

By the time they'd returned to Tommy's house, Kimberly was sound asleep with Kira still humming the song that had so changed so many lives.


End file.
